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By Donald P. Schlick

The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 requires each mine operator to implement the respirable dust sampling program established by the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. This program requires frequent sampling of "high-risk" face workers and periodic sampling of other underground workers. Dust samples are collected by the coal mine operator and weighed at the Bureau's Pittsburgh Field Health Group, and the results are processed by the Bureau's Automatic Data Processing Section located in Denver, Colo. This paper presents the system employed by the Bureau to weigh the dust samples and to process and store the data.

Jan 1, 1971

By Frank K. Cameron

"The DepositsThere are two large deposits or groups of deposits of potash salts which, at the breaking cut of the great world war in 1913 and for several decades preceding, were practically the only commercial sources of supply for the entire world. In both cases the origin of the deposits was sea water, the potassium salts being deposited by desiccation, but there were modifying factors which were not entirely the same in both cases so that well defined and important differences exist in these deposits. The larger and better known group, called the Stassfurt Deposits, are in Germany in the region about or adjacent to Magdeburg and Halberstadt. The general character of these deposits and the methods for recovering potash from them have been frequently described, not only in technical publi¬cations, but in the non-technical propaganda long maintained by the Kali Syndikat, an organization founded on a ""cartel"" with the supervision and support of the late Imperial German Government.Less well known are the smaller though nevertheless extensive deposits in the neighborhood of Mulhouse in Upper Alsatia, which were also under the control of the Kali Syndikat at the breaking out of the war but have now passed to French control, with the reentrance of Alsace into the French Republic.The Alsatiaa deposits, while less extensive than the German deposits, are, nevertheless of great magnitude. They occupy a large part of the area between the Vosges Mountains and the River Rhine, from Col¬mar on the North to Mulhouse on the South. Indeed a few borings on the East bank of the Rhine indicate that the deposits may extend under the river and to some distance beyond Buggingen Linken, Baden, though it has not been Shown as yet that this extension is of commercial significance.As is well known, the Stassfurt potash occurs as potassium chloride or potassium sulphate or both salts, intimately mixed with salts of sodium, magnesium eau& calcium (lime) and contaminated with substances. insoluble in water such as ferric oxide, clay etc. The potash salts are segregated in more or less extensive 'pockets' throughout the salt mass, these segregations departing usually from the horizontal. But the main ""potash region"" is a stratum varying from 30 to 150 feet in thickness and at a depth requiring shafts 5000 feet."

Jul 1, 1919

By E. A. Anundsen

The prevention of accidents is considered a necessity at all branches and divisions of the Phelps Dodge Corporation copper-producing operations, and since there is a continual exchange of data on safety accomplishments between the various units, their safety programs are fundamentally similar. Variations in accident-prevention methods result from a difference in emphasis rather than from a difference in the elements themselves. The main copper-producing operations of the corporation ore conducted in Arizona and distributed as follows: Copper Queen Branch, mines division, Fisbee, and smelter division, Douglas, Aria.; Morenci Branch, mines division, Morenci, and smelter division, Clifton, Ariz.; New Cornelia Branch, Ajo, Ariz.; and United Verde Branch, mines division, Jerome, and smelter division, Clarkdale Ariz. As it is not feasible to describe here the safety programs of all branches and divisions, the program at the Clarkdale smelter has been selected for discussion. The United Verde Brach includes the mine and smelter purchased by the Phelps Dodge Corporation in February 1935 from the United Verde Copper Co. The mine at Jerome and the reduction works at Clarkdale are designated, respectively, as the mine and smelter divisions.

Jan 1, 1939

By H. P. Greenwald

[In many coal-mining countries, during he pest decade, there have seen made extended studies and accurate measurement of movement of roof strata, tests of the physical properties of specimens cut therefrom, and tests of the strength of end load on artificial supports. Naturally, such studies have been more extensive in European countries, where mining conditions are less favorable than in the United States. As a part of its work in the conservation of coal resource and prevention of accidants in mines, the Bureau of brines began systematic measurements of the movement of roof strata to in coal mines in the fall of 1935. It was decided- that, in the beginning, work on a rapidly retreating rib line in a mechanized mine would give the greatest amount of information in a reasonable time. To this end w cooperative tine agreement was made with the Pittsburgh Coal Co., through Dr. L. E. Young, vice: president in charge of operations, for conduct of work in that company's Montour 10 mine operating in the Pittsburgh coal bed. This paper gives an account of the methods used in the investigation, excerpts from the data obtained, and such generalizations as appear to be justified.]

Jan 1, 1937

By John P. McDonnell

Cable supports offer several advantages over traditional secondary support methods by enhancing stress redistribution to pillars and gob areas, minimizing or eliminating timbers and cribs that reduce ventilation, eradicating material-handling injuries related to placement of crib supports, and providing a cost-effective alternative to secondary support. The U.S. Bureau of Mines, in researching alternatives to traditional roof support methods, designed and installed high-strength cable supports to improve the stability of longwall gate road and bleeder entries in a Western U.S. coal mine. With the cooperation of industry, methods were developed to install cable supports in a tailgate and bleeder entry test area using traditional resin cartridges. Resin-grouted cable bolts were also installed and evaluated in additional longwall gate road and bleeder entry systems at the study mine. The cable-bolted areas successfully maintained roof support throughout the tailgate and bleeder entries. Cable supports replaced wood cribbing as secondary support in the bleeder entry system and minimized the use of cribbing in the longwall tailgate entries. This report describes the theory, application, and advantages of cable supports and presents mine measurements made to assess the cable performance during the retreat process of longwall mining.

Jan 1, 2010

By H. P. Greenwald

[In many coal-mining countries, during he pest decade, there have been made extended studies and accurate measurement of movement of roof strata, tests of the physical properties of specimens cut therefrom, and tests of the strength of end load on artificial supports. Naturally, such studies have been more extensive in European countries, where mining conditions are less favorable than in the United States. As a part of its work in the conservation of coal resource and prevention of accidents in mints, the Bureau of Mines began systematic measurement of the movement of roof strata to in coal mines in the fall of 1935. It was decided that, in the beginning, work on a rapidly retreating rib line in a mechanized mine would give the greatest amount of information in a reasonable time. To this end a cooperative agreement was made with the Pittsburgh Coal Co., Dr. L. E. Young, vice president in charge of operations, for conduct of work in that company's Montour 10 mine operating in the Pittsburgh coal bed, This paper gives an account of the methods used in the investigation, excerpts from the date obtained, and such generalizations as appear to be justified.]

Jan 1, 1937

By D. K. Deardorff

The purpose of this work was to investigate the hafnium-carbon phase diagram. Alloys used to study this system were prepared from high-purity components by both consumable-and nonconsumable-electrode arc melting. Data for the diagram were obtained on the alloys by metallography, optical pyrometry, thermal analysis, heat treatment, and X-ray diffraction. The data indicate that a carbide compound occurs over considerable range of composition, and that one of each of the following types of reactions occurs in the hafnium-carbon system: Peritectoid, peritectic, and eutectic. The maximum melting temperature of hafnium carbide is 3,840° C at 49 to 50 atomic percent carbon, and the composition range of hafnium carbide at temperatures of 2,150° to 2,380° C is from 37.0 to 48.5 atomic percent carbon. The hafnium a-S transformation temperature is raised on alloying with carbon from 1,750° to 1,890° C, where a peritectoid reaction isotherm occurs. Alloying hafnium with carbon increases the hafnium melting temperature from 2,190° to 2,250° C, at which temperature a peritectic reaction occurs. Hafnium carbide and carbon react at 3,055° C to form a eutectic of 68.3 atomic percent carbon.

Jan 1, 1967

By D. E. FOCG, A. E. Wells

When the United States entered the World War governmental agencies found little definite knowledge available as to the exact capacity of each sulphuric acid plant in the United States to manufacture acid under the stress of a great emergency. It is true that on account of the demand for acid for the manufacture of munitions for the Allies, prior to the entrance of this country into the war, most of the acid plants near industrial centers in the Eastern and Northern States were running at or nearly their maximum capacity, but, . for various reasons, many plants in these States and plants in other districts were not. For a number of years statistics as to the production of acid by the plants of the country were compiled by the United States Geological Survey, but obviously such figures did not give information as to the maximum capacities that might be available for meeting the he.a vy war ·requirements, or as to the steps that would have to be taken to bt-ing these capacities into use. During the summer and early fall of 1917 various attempts were made to obtain the desired information, but no satisfactory or complete data were obtained. Late in 1917, under the authority granted to the Bureau of Mines by the explosives act, the Director of the Bureau of Mines directed A. E. Wells, metallurgist of the bureau, to uiake a complete survey of the situation. Mr. Wells personally conferred with officials of the acid companies and visited most of the acid plants in the North that are east of the Mississippi River. The information obtained through this personal survey, together with that obtained through the ready cooperation of the subcommittee on ncids, and the subcommittee on fertilizers of the Committee on Chemicals of the Council of National Defense, enabled the preparation of a report containing the desired data concerning the sulphuric acid industry. This report was made immediately available to the War Industries Board and to those offices in the War and Navy Depart- ments that were most directly concerned in planning the explosives program and in obtaining the necessary supplies to produce the explosives. Beginning with this survey and report, the sulphuric acid section of the war minerals investigations of the Bureau of Mines took an active part in all matters pertaining to the sulphuric acid industry during the remainder of the war. Mr. Wells, the chief of the section, was appointed an associate chief of the sulphur, pyrite, and sulphuric acid sections of the War Industries Board. .Also, by this direct contact with the War Industries Board, the data obtained by Messrs. R. R. Hornor, H. A. Buehler, a.nd 0. Lindstrom, who were in charge, for the bureau, of the investigations concerning the supplies of pyrite and sulphur, were constantly made available to all interested Government agencies. D. E. Fogg, of New York City, was appointed chemical engineer to the sulphuric acid section to make special investigations relating to the acid industry, especially the possible utilization, in an emergency, of those sources of raw material.not then being used. Mr. E. E. Corbett, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was appointed chemical engineer to make investigations concerned primarily ,vith the conservation of acid. Direct and intimate contact with the industry was had through the close cooperation with the committee on acids of the Chemical Alliance, this committee during the greater part of 1918 occupying rooms with the acid section of the bureau. With the ending of the war and the close o:f the active work of the acid section of the bureau, the suggestion was made by many interested parties that a bulletin be prepared giving some qf the fun. damental and most important facts regarding the sulphuric acid industry, including a discussion of the technical :features of the manufacture of acid. During the war the bureau received -a vast number of inquiries in regard to various phases of the industry, a.nd this fact also made such a bulletin seem desirable. Therefore, the present bulletin was prepared to cover the main facts in regard to the industry in this country, including a discussion of the supplies of sulphur-bearing raw materials, the situation of the acid plants, the principal points in regard to manufacturing processes, and the uses of the acid. No attempt has been ma.de to discuss at length the manufacturing processes, as details differ more or less at the different plants and in general are carefully guarded by the acid ·companies. A great deal of the data given in this bulletin may be found in various pub]ications, but this is the first publication in which such data have been assembled and made readily available. Most of the data were obtained directly from observation and from cooperating acid companies or from individuals who had been or are now engaged in acid manufacturing and were liberal and generous in making their information available for publication. Care has been exercised to publish no data that were obtained as confidential by the bureau's representatives. The average acid manufacturer may be already more or less acquainted with most of the information presented in this bulletin, yet it is believed that the bulletin will be of value to those who wish to obtain a. general review of the present condition, both the economic and technical, of the sulphuric acid industry in the United States.

Jan 1, 1920

By William C. Cooley

[Data from t.-raturs on each hydr,ne has been assembled on the- data sheets whichw6ed in this Appandin. Dai_iis are provl_ od for ::amines or hydraulic s-ctions in the USSR (TDPhw~s), 8 in ASR (Kuzbass) , 1i-gin i, 1 in 7in China, i in Japan, and l in C~n- i.Ata sheetsiov tion prepared for mines in New Zealah_~sddered very rele¬ vant, nor forf !aA of information. In aW,!~.F in : --- C=SR for tiara ShoeLS ara 1palAwdl satinieral mines have operac- ~ - re Manned about which very limited data exist as folloos:]

Jan 1, 1975

By R. L. Merek

There were 63 fatalities in the California petroleum industry in 1929, the largest number in any year since 1923 and an increase of 34.0 per cent over 1928, when 47 men lost their lives in the drilling, producing, manufacturing, and marketing divisions of the industry. It will be observed from the accompanying chart that after following a consistent decline for 4 years, the fatality curve turned upward in 1923 and advanced sharply in 1929. Although this increase in fatalities coincided with a period of intensive development it tends to indicate some laxness in the industry during a period of increased hazards. Intensive drilling campaigns are usually started hurriedly and conducted with a great demand for speed, and the result is that accident-prevention work is too often relegated to a position of minor importance.

Jan 1, 1930

By R. L. Marek

There were 63 fatalities in the California petroleum industry in 1929, the largest number in any year since 1923 and an increase of 34.0 per cent over 1928, when 47 men lost their lives in the drilling, producing, manufacturing, and marketing divisions of the industry. It will be observed from the accompanying chart that after following a consistent decline for 4 years, the fatality curve turned upward in 1923 and advanced sharply in 1929. Although this increase in fatalitics coincided with a period of intensive development it tends to indicate some laxness in the industry during a period of increased hazards. Intensive drilling campaigns are usually started hurriedly and conducted with a great demand for speed, and the result is that accident-prevention work is too often relegated to a position of minor importance. [ ]

Jan 1, 1930

By E. J. Gleim

An important phase in the Bureau of Mines investigation of electrical machines designed for operation in gassy coal mines is testing enclosures of electrical components for explosion-proof qualities. In brief, this testing consists of filling and surrounding the enclosure with an explosive atmosphere of methane and air and then igniting the atmosphere within the enclosure to determine (1) Whether the resulting explosion is confined without discharge of flame; (2) whether the enclosure walls are permanently distorted; and (3) whether excessive pressures are developed within the enclosure. Ordinarily, the pressures encountered in routine testing do not exceed 100 pounds per square inch gage. Hence, the designer of the machine does not have too much difficulty in taking corrective measures to prevent flame discharge and distortion of the enclosure. Occasionally, however, the explosion pressures greatly exceed 100 pounds. Then the goblet of the designer may not be solved so readily, From experience over the year 0, the testing personnel often can predict that certain construction will result in high. Pressures, but, only in a very general way, has it been possible to advise designers what modifications might be made to reduce the explosion pressures to normal values. For example, if high pressures were developed in a motor starter having a partition with an opening through it, some enlargement of the opening may appear to be the logical procedure, but it has not been- possible to give information concerning the exact amount the opening should be enlarged to prevent development of high pressures .

Jan 1, 1952

By Alton B. Cook, G. B. Shea

"INTRODUCTION In February 1945, Captain (now Commodore) W. G. Greeman, U. S. N., Director, Naval Petroleum and Oil 3hale Reserves, requested the Bureau of Mines to assist the Navy in its wartime development of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 1, Elk Hills field, Calif., to assure adequate supplies of petroleum products in the Pacific theatre. Unit Operation 4/,engineers desired pressure volume-temperature and viscosity data on the reservoir oil in the shallow oil zone to augment data previously obtained for the purpose of calculating reservoir performance and oil reserves. Accordingly, arrangements were approved by the Operating Committee far, the Bureau of Mines to proceed with a program of field sampling and laboratory determinations designed to obtain the desired information.To carry out the assignment, the Bureau transferred the necessary person¬nel, subsurface pressure, temperature, and sampling instruments, and laboratory equipment for analyzing subsurface oil samples from the Petroleum Experiment Station, Bartlesville, Okla., and the San Francisco, Calif., office and set up a temporary field headquarters in the Elk Hills. The program of work as out-lined by Unit Operation required the 6 months period March-August 1945 to complete during which time individual reports comprising data on pressure-volume-temperature relationships and reservoir oil viscosities as determined on subsurface oil samples and recombined oil and gas samples for 5 selected wells were submitted to Unit Operation.This report is a summary compilation of the data contained in the original reports supplemented by correlations of some of the physical properties of the reservoir oil with the A.P.I. gravities of the produced oil. The report also includes material-balance calculations relative to one of the oil horizons in the shallow zone. The Bureau of Mines believes that publication of the results of these analyses is a worthwhile contribution to the petroleum literature and of particular interest to the California industry."

Apr 1, 1947

By Albert W. Cox

This paper, one of a series prepared for the United States Bureau of Mines discussing the methods used in mining, crushing, and grinding materials for cement manufacture, deals particularly with the methods used at the Security plant of the North American Cement Corporation. These papers are designed to disseminate technical information regarding the methods used. The cost tabulations represent local operating expenditures only and not total production costs. It is recognized that publication of, total production costs might in many instances cause embarrassment to individual producers as well as to the industry as a whole. On the other hand, operating costs are essential to the technical discussion and study of methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically called to this differentiation in order that no misunderstanding of the scone of the cost tabulations shall ensue.

Jan 1, 1932

By Phillip R. Moyle

In 1985 the U.S. Bureau of Mines evaluated the mineral resources of tie Bruneau River and Jarbidge River study areas, Owyhee County, ID, for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The study areas, separated by a narrow corridor, include 90,000 acres of the 107,020-acre Bruneau River Wilderness Study Area (ID-111-17) and 47,000 acres of the 75,340-acre Jarbidge River Wilderness Study Area (ID-17-11). They lie 26 miles and 55 miles, respectively, due south of Mountain Home, ID. Approximately 38 placer claims for gold and 182 lode and placer claims for jasper, agate, and limestone were located within and adjacent to the study areas from 1893 to 1981. Currently, there are eight mining claims for jasper at Indian Hot Springs along the corridor between the study areas.

Jan 1, 1987

By A. W. Fahrenwald

"The rate of progress in the last three years in the development of differential flotation has been rapid beyond the realization of most people. Differential flotation is no longer a ""delicate"" and unreliable process, but is now in wide use. Its ""safety"" is due to the wide use of chemicals which either depress or enhance floatability by definite modification of surfaces.The extent of the development and reliability of differential flotation methods any be emphasized by pointing out that there are now several customall-flotation"" plants in this country treating complex lead-zinc-iron ores from widely separated mines. While these ores differ in chemical composition and apparently in physical nature, the various ores treated in such a plant are passed through the same crushing and grinding equipment and through the same flotation machines and flow sheet with only slight changes, if any, in quantity and kind of chemicals and oils added.Some of the development in differential flotation is due to intelligent research on the part of well-trained chemists and metallurgists; much of It must be attributed to empirical testing.Much of the success in differential flotation is due to more care being given to constant conditions with regard to such factors as (1) fineness of grinding, (2) density of pulp entering flotation machines, (3) quantity and constancy of oils and chemicals added to the pulp, and (4) place of addition of reagents, and time of ""conditioning"" treatment of pulp with reagents."

Aug 1, 1925

By B. K. Shibler

As a part of the Bureau of Mines' intensive; 'investigation of domestic manganese deposits, ore-dressing studies were conducted on three samples of oxide and silicate manganese ores from various Wyoming properties. The samples wore as follows: 1. A 2-ton sample of ore was obtained by a Bureau engineer during examination of the Caulkins-McGuckin property in the center of Crook County, 10 miles north of Sundance, Wyo. The ore body was described as a vein deposit in rhyolite porphyry. 2. The J. B. C. Mining Co. submitted a 1-ton sample of oxide manganese ore from a property located 44 miles northeast of Rock River in Albany County, Wyoming. 3. A 1-ton sample of oxide-silicate-ore was obtained by a Bureau examining engineer from the Gheen property in the northeast corner of Washakie County, Wyo. The ore body was described as a replacement deposit in a country rock of silicified limestone. As the samples differed widely in physical and chemical characteristics and also in their response to methods of concentration, ore from each property was considered a separate ore-dressing problem.

Jan 1, 1949

By Jonathan Ludlow

This document is the final report of a study aimed at defining the relative contributions of various sources of respirable airborne dust on longwall faces. In order to define the contribution of various primary sources, continuous dust level data were recorded on five longwalls for an average of five shifts at each. By analysis of these data with records of face activity, it was possible to determine the overall contribution of each of the major elements of the longwall system to overall respirable dust exposure at various face locations. Average levels were determined for roof support generated dust, conveyor and intake dust and for dust levels during various shearer activities. When average levels are compared between mines, a significant degree of consistency is noted. The next phase of the study was aimed at differentiating the various dust sources associated with the shearer. To this end 'fly cuts' varying from 6 in. to 30 in. were closely monitored as were dust levels at operators' positions over the various segments of longwall cycle. These data indicated that the clearance ring of the shearer drum as a disproportionately heavy contributor to shearer dust make. A statistical analysis of the effect of shearer haulage speed on dust make revealed that high haulage speeds are associated with low specific dust make.

Jan 1, 1983

This manual provides instructions for installing, operating, and maintaining a protective canopy on the Galis Mfg. Co. face drill. The instructions are based upon an actual installation made in the mine on face drill model 460-S. The parts list and engineering drawings for the protective canopy are included at the end of the manual. And a discussion of some alternative design concepts is also included. The manual can also be used for retrofitting other face drills with similar protective canopies. Skilled mechanics can determine if the instructions herein would be applicable to the other face drills and can determine any necessary modifications if they are not.

Jan 1, 1973

By Jack Wright

The analysis of water produced with crude petroleum has interested oil producers since inception of the industry. Records of the first analysis of mineralized water produced from an oil-productive formation are obscure, and references to the first use of brine analyses to assist in solving problems of petroleum production are not available in the technical literature. However, many early reports of the Federal Bureau of Mines5-8 and Federal Geological Survey,9-11/ as well as articles in engineer and geological journals12-14/ placed special emphasis on the importance, interpretation, and application of water analyses. One of the earliest applications of water analyses, and still a major one today, is for identification of intrusive waters in oil wells. This may be done by comparing the chemical constituents of a sample of water indigenous to the oil-productive formation with those of samples from upper, water-bearing formations within the same general area. Some earlier investigators recognized the need for Analyzing samples of all waters encountered in drilling operations. Ambrose15/ stated, in part, "In wells being drilled, the engineer should grasp every opportunity to get a true sample of water from each sand. . .," and, "The waters of each oil field are chemically different from those of another field." The validity of the latter observation and the importance of the former one have been borne out by comparing the results of analyses of many samples and noting the differences in relative concentrations of like constituents of waters from the a geological formation in different localities or oil pools.

Jan 1, 1957