Search Documents

By Will H. Coghill, C. O. Anderson

In July 1921 , we were assigned by the U. S. Bureau of Mines to an investigation of milling methods in the Tri - State zinc district ( Missouri -Kaneas- Oklahoma district ) . The work has progressed without interruption , and about onehalf of the funds allotted for it has been expended . This preliminary statement abcut the nature of the work and the results so far obtained , has been prepared for the information of the operators , and through their assistance to insure the greatest possible progress during the remainder of the work . A general survey of the district was made , and many of the mining companies cordially offered the facilities of their plants for the investigation . The work was finally centralized at the plant of the 0. M. Bilharz Mining Co. Its manager , F. H. Gartung, and his successor , O. W. Bilharz , have been especially helpful , also the millmen at this plant and elsewhere have rendered assistance without which the work could not have advanced . The Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy , Rolla, Mo. , and the Miami School of Mines , Miami , Okla . , have given hearty cooperation . The Webb City Iron Works and the Joplin Supply Co. donated some necessary apparatus .

Jan 1, 1922

By Tyler Blake

This report describes a study designed to evaluate a pro-posed modification in the cap lamp battery cord intented to reduce the incidence of snagging and catching of the cord. A three phase evaluation was performed comparing a prototype with the standard, currently available cord. First, a ?pull test? equipment was run. The second evaluation was a body conformity study. The third evaluation involved subjects performing common tasks in a low seam coal mine simulator. The results of these evaluations clearly demonstrated significant safety advantages of incorporating coiled cord into the design of the cap cord. The coil cord presented less of a snagging hazard, allowed the wearer more time to respond to a snag, and transmitted lower levels of force to the helmet when snagged. The research team recommended that cap lamp cords be commercially developed which incorporate coiled cord at the battery and helmet.

Jan 1, 1980

By Lucia Kuizon

The Miranda Pine Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II) study area (No. 5114) comprises 12,600 acres (5,100 ha) in Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara County, California, about 15 mi (24 km) east of Santa Maria (fig. 1). Mineral investigations are made by personnel from the U.S. Bureau of Mines on National Forest lands identified as Further Planning Areas in the RARE II program. The Bureau of Mines reviewed literature, mining claim records, and production files; examined the study area; and sampled mineral properties where appropriate.

Jan 1, 1983

By Thomas J. Peters

The U.S. Bureau of Mines and the U.S. Geological Survey are responsible for the evaluation of the mineral resources and potential of further planning areas included in the U.S. Forest Service Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II) program. The Bureau of Mines primarily evaluates mineral deposits and prospects within the areas. The Geological Survey naps the area's geology and conducts geochemical sampling. Evaluations are in conformance with the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 as amended by the National Forest Management Act of 1976. The Hauser RARE II area, which consists of 7,600 acres (3,100 ha) within the Cleveland National Forest, is in southern San Diego County, California. The area, which forms the north slope of Hauser Canyon, ranges between 1,600 and 3,919 ft (490 m) in elevation. It is sparsely to densely covered with desert shrubs. The area is underlain by granitic rocks of the Peninsular Ranges batholith.

Jan 1, 1983

By Philip C. Tully

This bibliography contains 2,072 citations to technical and scientific literature about helium and alpha-particles abstracted by 12 abstract service publications during 1962. Citations are listed by 16 major subject classifications with several subclassifications to minimize areas of literature search. Automatic data processing was used to reduce the time and labor required to compile the bibliography.

Jan 1, 1969

By J. W. Eckerd

This report describes an investigation of the technical feasibility of using a conventional commercial-size (10-ft. i.d.), rotating grate, dry-ash-removal type gas producer to make producer gas from chestnut-size bone anthracite. Test instruments were installed, and some minor changes were made in the equipment to handle the large quantities of materials expected. Extensive tests, lasting about 4 weeks, were planned, using 35 to 50 percent ash chestnut anthracite bone. However, operations were suspended after 8 days when it became apparent that to use this type of fuel satisfactorily substantial changes in equipment and operating procedures would be required. Nevertheless, enough data were obtained to indicate that gas could be produced continuously and routinely from bone coal in this type of producer whenever conditions justified the necessary development work.

Jan 1, 1960

By H. A. Doerner

"During the year which has passed since the last progress report on reduction of zinc by natural gas,3 the laboratory experiments on this investigation have been completed. In this concluding report, the whole subject will be reviewed and additional data presented.Chemical ReactionsIn a thermodynamic study of zinc smelting, Maier 4 discussed the use of methane for reducing zinc oxide, and predicted equilibria at various temperatures for the sore important reactions. The study has been extended to include the following list.Maier predicted that 870°C. would be the critical temperature above which reaction (1) would take precedence over reaction (2) and that reaction (1) at equilibria would be substantially complete at or above 927°C. A subsequent papers described experimental verification of these predictions and gave data on reaction rates under various conditions.It methane is passed through a heated bed of zinc oxide at a low enough rate reactions (1), (3), and (4) reach an equilibrium which can be expressed by reaction (10). The equilibrium concentrations for the products of this reaction in the temperature range 900° to 1100°C. were calculated by applying the thermodynamic constants to the stoichiometric relations. 6 The results of these calculations are listed in table 1 and shown graphically in figures 1, A and B. These data have major importance, and experimental work has shown that they are subtantially correct."

Dec 1, 1934

By William J. Wuest

This U.S. Bureau of Mines report presents an overview of ground control considerations associated with floor heave. Factors affecting heave, such as in situ stress, floor characteristics, and mine geometry, are described. Floor-displacement monitoring and data analysis methods are outlined. Finally, floor heave remediation is discussed. The remedial techniques are divided into four categories: mine maintenance, supplemental support, mine structure, and techniques for multiple-seam operations. Other subjects covered in the report include laboratory and in-place testing of floor rocks, U.S. and international case studies, effects of mine layout, determination of excess horizontal pressure, and types of heave failure. The emphasis of this report is on practical considerations; theoretical discussions are kept to a minimum.

Jan 1, 1992

By Edward L. Wilson

A general computer program is given for the linear elastic static analysis of complex structural systems. These elements have special advantages for the analysis of massive underground structures such as mine structures and above ground structures such as arch dams. New finite elements are developed which are useful in the analysis of two and three dimensional solids. Examples are given which illustrate the accuracy of the elements. A description on the use of the program and a FORTRAN IV listing are given in the Appendices.

Jan 1, 1971

The Mateen deposit comprises two large spodumene-bearing pegmatite dikes that outcrop along the, side and crest of a hill overlooking 'Rill City in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota. The Bureau of Mines investigated the Mateen deposit as part of a comprehensive study of the lithium mineral-production possibilities in the Black Hills area. The work was undertaken during the second World War, when the demand for certain lithium salts and compounds exceeded the small productive capacity of the industry. During the course of the investigation, the Bureau of Mines took 61 large channel samples from surface trenches, 4 channel samples from a shaft, and 3 from the face of an open cut. In addition, 8 diamond core-drill holes were completed to investigate the attitude of one of the dikes at depth. Metallurgical tests were conducted by the Bureau of Mines to determine the feasibility of beneficiating spodumene-bearing ores from the Mateen dikes.

Jan 1, 1948

By M. Carrales

This Bureau of Mines report presents information on the sulfur content of crude oil in the United States and in some foreign countries. Data are presented for oil produced in 1971 from fields in 26 States that accounted for about 76 percent of total U.S. oil production; the foreign data cover fields in 24 foreign countries that accounted for about 64 percent of the total oil produced from these countries in 1971. Most of the data are presented in tabular form.

Jan 1, 1975

By Michael J. Beus

This Bureau of Mines report describes field investigations conducted in the Coeur d'Alene mining district of Idaho to obtain data on rock stress and physical properties. The resulting information has been utilized as input to detailed finite-element analyses to establish structural design criteria for deep-vein mine shafts. Measurement techniques include the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research biaxial and triaxial strain cells, the U.S. Geological Survey solid-inclusion probe, and the Colorado School of Mines dilatometer. Physical property testing was conducted in the laboratory on core obtained from each test site. Limited in situ physical property tests were also conducted. Reason-able success was obtained with the CSIR equipment, which was considered the most suitable for stress measurement in the study area. Test sites ranged in depth from 1,200 to 7,700 feet and are described in detail. The stress data were reduced by least-squares linear regression techniques to enable prediction of vertical and horizontal stresses to 7,500 feet. Ratios between the horizontal stresses as utilized for shaft design varied considerably, and a hydrostatic condition is the exception, based on Bureau measurements. Physical properties also varied widely, due to the complex geologic structure. Analyses of the data in terms of the tectonic history of the area show reasonable correlation. Data from previous rock mechanics investigations from the Coeur d'Alene district were also compiled and presented as part of this report to justify any generalizations regarding stress conditions and physical properties of the district as a whole.

Jan 1, 1980

By James J. Snodgrass

The Bureau of Mines designed and constructed a series of calibration models for geophysical borehole logging. A nominal hole diameter of 3 inches was selected as representative of typical core holes drilled for mining and engineering purposes, although additional hole diameters of 2, 5, and 8 inches are provided in one of the models for determination of empirical correction factors for variations in hole diameter. The physical properties of the models were determined by laboratory analyses of drill core samples and evaluated statistically for reliability. This report outlines the location of the models, elements of design and construction, and results of the laboratory tests. The models are available at the Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colo., for use by Government agencies and private industry to calibrate logging equipment for measurements of density, sonic velocity, magnetic susceptibility, and electrical resistivity.

Jan 1, 1976

By Fred N. Kissell

This handbook describes effective methods for the control of mineral dusts in mines and tunnels. It assumes the reader is familiar with mining. The first chapter deals solely with dust control methods, regardless of the application. It is a brief tutorial on mining dust control and will be of help to the reader whose dust control problem does not conveniently fit any of the mining equipment niches described in later chapters. The subsequent chapters describe dust control methods for different kinds of mines and mining equipment. This includes underground coal and hard-rock mines, as well as surface mines, stone mines, and hard-rock tunnels. Because dust sampling has so many pitfalls, a chapter on methods used to sample dust is included. For those occasions when there is no practical engineering control, a chapter on respirators is also included. Except for those listed as ?future possibilities? in the longwall chapter, the dust control methods described are practical and cost-effective for most mine operators. If controlling dust were a simple matter, dust problems in tunnels and mines would have been eradicated years ago. Unfortunately, most underground dust control methods yield only 25% to 50% reductions in respirable-sized dust. Often, 25% to 50% reductions are not enough to achieve compliance with dust standards. Thus, mine operators must use several methods simultaneously, usually without knowing for sure how well any individual method is working. In fact, given a 25% error in dust sampling and day-to-day variations in dust generation of 50% or more, certainty about which control methods are most effective can be wanting. Nevertheless, over the years, some consensus has emerged on the best dust control practices. This handbook summarizes those practices.

Jan 1, 2003

By R. V. Ramani

This report is volume 2 of an eleven-volume final report for a Grant completed by The Pennsylvania State University for the Bureau of Mines to develop a dynamic general purpose computer simulation model for underground coal mining. The simulator developed under the Grant has a wide range of possible applications in the design and evaluation of underground coal mining systems from the standpoints of health and safety, productivity, and mine environment. The Master Design Simulator consists of nine free-standing function-oriented subsystem models linked together into an integrated, comprehensive model of an entire mining system. The subsystems comprising the Master Design Simulator include geology and reserves, methane generation, roof support, subsidence, production, rail haulage, cost, water generation, and ventilation. This volume of the final report describes the Geology and Reserves subsystem of the Master Design Simulator. The two functions of this subsystem are: 1) the design of a geological data library to provide input to the other subsystems of the simulator; and 2) the calculation of coal reserves and associated values and grades under various user-specified conditions. The subsystem uses a weighted moving average method to interpolate between the borehole values, and provides output in report format, graphical plots and/or storage on magnetic tape or other storage devices for later retrieval. The application of the subsystem as an independent model with test results and comparisons with other methods of computing reserves is also presented. The appendix comprises a users manual for the model, and includes a program listing.

Jan 1, 1974

By P. L. Woolf

Blast furnace coal injection tests conducted by the Bureau of Mines in cooperation with a consortium of 22 steel companies in 1963-1964 are described. These tests were part of a program of extensive investigation of auxiliary fuel injection in the Bureau's experimental blast furnace located at Bruceton, PA. Seventeen coal tests are described on various coals ranging from anthracite to subbituminous. Factors affecting maximum rates of injection were studied. These included coal size, coal type, and oxygen enrichment. The effect of high sulfur content coal and the means to control metal sulfur were investigated. An epilogue briefly describing the commercial experience with coal injection from 1960 to the present has been included.

Jan 1, 1985

By Thomas J. Peters

In 1984, at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Mines studied 7,000 acres of the 9,240-acre Little Blitzen Gorge Wilderness Study Area in Harney County, OR, to evaluate its mineral resources. The study area is dominated by a 1,500-ft-deep canyon that was carved by Pleistocene glaciers in gently westward-dipping homoclinal flows of Miocene Steens Basalt. The Bureau reviewed pertinent literature and county mining records During the field investigations, 18 rock samples were collected from basalt dikes, breccia, fractured or porphyritic flows, and 20 alluvial samples from gravel accumulations. Mercury anomalies from sampling by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries could not be verified. The mercury might have originated -From the Pike Creek Formation, a known mercury-producing unit that may extend into the study area beneath the Steens Basalt. Any epithermal deposit at depth would be expensive to explore and develop.

Jan 1, 1986

By Edward L. McHugh

The study area, which comprises 11,500 acres, includes the 9,610-acre Whitewater Wilderness Study Area, in the California Desert Conservation Area, 15 miles northwest of Palm Springs, CA. The U.S. Bureau of Mines evaluation of mineral resources is based on examination of prospects and mineralized areas during the spring of 1981. The Whitewater study area is mainly underlain by granodiorite to quartz diorite and their gneissic equivalents in an igneous-metamorphic complex. Late Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks locally overlie the crystalline complex in the eastern part of the study area. The study area lies between branches of the San Andreas fault system.

Jan 1, 1986

By P. S. Haury

"INTRODUCTION Preliminary examinations of the Mohawk zinc prospect were made by John 14. Price and the author in July, August, and September 1943. Considerable quantities of oxidized lead and zinc minerals were found in old shallow work¬ings along two faults - one an over thrust fault with Paleozoic limestone in the hanging wall overlying Cretaceous shale and arkose in the footwall of the fault, and the other a bedding fault in the Paleozoic limestone.The chances appeared good for finding important lead-zinc sulfide ore bodies at 200 to 300 feet beneath the surface, so exploration in three steps by the Bureau was recommended:Surveying, mapping, and character sampling of the outcrops with topographic and geologic mapping of the immediately surrounding area.Preliminary drilling of four test holes, aggregating about 1,500 feet, to locate the top of a possible sulfide ore zone and determine the thickness and intensity of the sulfide mineralization.Contingent upon favorable results of the second step, diamond drilling of about 6,300 feet of additional hole to explore the sulfide ore bodies.The outcrops were surveyed and sampled, a topographic map was made of the area, and the geology was mapped. A project was set up for preliminary drilling of step 2 in the fiscal year 1944-45. An access road to the drill sites was built in April 1945. Diamond drilling was started on April 28 and completed on September 25, 1945, under the supervision or the Bureau of Mines. The exploratory work is covered in this report."

Oct 1, 1946

By M. C. Bleiweiss

Various light sources were evaluated for use in a fiber optic lighting system for mining machines. It was determined that a metal halide arc lamp was best because of its resistance to damage from shock and vibration and the high luminance of the arc. Measurements were made of the percent transmission of the ½ inch thick glass window and the fiber bundles, the total lumen output of the diffuser assembly with a known input and of the average surface luminance of the diffuser assembly. These data were then used to calculate the theoretical output of the system given an estimated input from the source. A prototype 55 watt, single-ended metal halide source was then developed. In order to provide greater efficacy and higher throughput through the fiber optic cables, a variation of the lamp with thallium iodide added to the fill was developed. The lamp was modified and a ballast was developed to allow it to hot restrike.

Jan 1, 1986