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By R. Barany

This report contains the results of experimental work conducted by the Bureau of Mines to obtain the heats of formation at 298.15° K. of analcite, dehydrated analcite, lawsonite, anorthite, hexagonal anorthite, and leonhardite. Thermodynamic data for these minerals have applications in ceramics, extractive metallurgy, and particularly in geochemistry. Except for data on anorthite, no previous similar data existed. The present results will be a substantial aid in deriving the temperature-pressure-equilibrium relationships among these minerals. The heats of formation were determined by solution calorimetry, with hydrofluoric acid as the reaction medium. The results were expressed both in terms of the constituent oxides and in terms of the constituent elements. The heat of formation data were combined with related entropy values to obtain the free energies of formation at 298.15° K.

Jan 1, 1962

By Gilbert M. Farrior

Tests of resistance to molten metals , to oxidation at elevated temperatures , and to various chemical reagents were made for a series of compositions in the TiB₂ - CrB₂ subsystem . In reaction with molten metals , there was no noticeable difference in reaction of the various compositions in the ( Ti , Cr ) B₂ series . The oxidation tests were ( 1 ) a rising - temperature test in which the specimen temperature was increased 4° per minute to 1,200 ° C and ( 2 ) a constanttemperature test in which the specimen temperature was held constant at 1,000 ° C. Compositions near Tio.6 Cro.4 B2 had the best oxidation resistance . Ti。.6 The chromium- rich alloys showed marked superiority to the titanium- rich alloys in resistance to corrosion by the chemical agents investigated . The chemical reagents used were sulfuric , nitric , and hydrochloric acids and sodium hydroxide of different concentrations .

Jan 1, 1964

By O. C. Blade

Studies on more efficient utilization of petroleum have been made for 50 years by the Bureau of Mines. As part of this work, the Bureau has analyzed thousands of samples of crude oil by its standardized routine method, and many of these analyses have been published, sometimes in special compilations, other times in connection with reports of research on petroleum. This report is a finding index for all analyses published from 1921 to 1959, and brings up to date the information in Information Circular 7470 3 and in the appendix of Bulletin 490.4 The routine method of analysis and the equipment originally were described in a report by Dean and associates. 5 This report has long been out of print, but Bulletin 490, bringing the procedure and its modifications to date, was published in 1951. 6 Briefly, the procedure consists of testing, by standard methods, small samples of a crude oil for gravity, sulfur, color, viscosity, pour point, and (more recently) nitrogen; and, by a standardized procedure, distilling a portion of the crude oil and determining certain properties on the separated fractions and residuum. Careful records are made during the procedure, and the distillation data obtained are used to compute the approximate amounts of products present in the sample--such as percentages of gasoline, kerosine, gas oil, and lubricants. The principal data and results are recorded on a standard analytical report form. An analysis of a sample of crude oil from a recently developed field is shown in table 1. Compilations of these analyses, sometimes in tabular form and usually for specific geographic areas, are published from time to time. Analyses often are included in connection with other studies, such as engineering field reports.

Jan 1, 1959

This Bureau of Mines report comprises tables listing the name, location, and other pertinent data concerning certain future fuel-related projects. The tables include information on projects involving the proposed or planned development of fuel resources, as well as the development of storage, transportation, and conversion facilities; the report covers the 26 States east of the Mississippi River. Of the total 594 projects for which information is provided, 492 concern coal mines and electric generating plants.

Jan 1, 1976

By P. W. Jeran, S. J. Pepperney, M. C. Irani, F. F. Kopsch

The Bureau of Mines has designed and put into operation a fail-safe control system for use in underground coal mines equipped with methane drainage pipelines. This control system can detect certain unsafe conditions and respond by automatically shutting off the flow of methane from the degasification borehole to the drainage pipeline. Methane flow is shut off when the methane content in the return airways reaches a predetermined level (typically 1.5 pct), when the methane drainage pipeline is ruptured by roof fall, or when there is an electric power failure. The fail-safe control system was designed using commercially available components and a methane analyzer system previously developed by the Bureau. The fail-safe system consists of a unit that combines a shutoff valve and pneumatic valve actuator, and electronic and mechanical equipment designed to detect hazards and effect shutdown. The fail-safe control system was designed to meet regulatory requirements issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, and State regulatory bodies for the safe operation of underground methane pipelines used for mine degasification. MSHA has inspected and tested this system and permitted its use in two mines. The Bureau installed the fail-safe system in two working coal mines, where successful performance has been demonstrated.

Jan 1, 1980

By D. J. Singleton

Erosion corrosion of 12 alloys in phosphoric acid waste water was studied by the Bureau of Mines. Tests were conducted on oblate spheroids or cylindrical specimens in 12-and 60-cm-diam ball mills by grinding phosphate rock in gypsum pond water with a starting pH of 1.6. For comparison, tests were conducted while grinding phosphate rock in plain water. Static corrosion tests in gypsum pond water also were conducted. For all alloys, the wear by erosion-corrosion (milling with gypsum pond water) was greater than the sum of erosion (milling with water) plus static corrosion. Erosion-corrosion wear was about 1,500 to 3,000 mpy for the alloyed white cast irons, 1,000 to 1,400 mpy for commercial steel ball material and type 316 stainless steel, and 600 to 900 mpy for nickel-base alloys and a high-manganese, nitrided stainless steel. Alloy costs per unit of phosphate rock 'processed favor a low-alloy, high-carbon steel or a high-manganese, nitrided stainless steel.

Jan 1, 1985

By A. J. Kraemer

This paper is the second and concluding report of the results of the Bureau of Mines' twenty-second semiannual survey of motor fuel marketed in the United States. The first paper Was published as Report of Investigations 30634 and reported data relating to gravity, vapor pressure, and distillation range of the samples. The present paper deals particularly with results of the determination of copper strip corrosion (method 530.22),5 color (method 10.11),6 sulphur content by the lamp method, 7 copper dish evaporation residue (method 530.1),8 and "gum" content as given by the steam-oven method as developed by the Bureau of Mines. 9 The price at the time the sample was taken and the tax are also stated for each sample. The sample numbers used throughout this report are identical with those used in Report of Investigations 306310; ?for example, No. 225 of this report is the same sample as No. 225 of Report of Investigations 3063.

Jan 1, 1931

By J. E. Schiller

The Bureau of Mines is investigating methods to treat waste water that contains cyanide. This report describes a new method that removes heavy metals and all forms of cyanide. In the first step, hydrogen peroxide and sodium thiosulfate are added at pH 7 to 9 in a 1:2 molar ratio to convert free and weakly complexed cyanide to nontoxic thiocyanate. Then steryldimethylbenzylammonium chloride is added to precipitate ferro-cyanide, and finally, ferric sulfate is added as a sweep floc and sequestrant for heavy metals. After the suspended solids settle, the water is polished by filtering. The water initially contained 1 to 5 mg/L Fe, 1 to 5 mg/L Cu, and 10 to 30 mg/L total cyanide; the level of each of these constituents was reduced to less than 0.02 mg/L.

Jan 1, 1983

By Willard L. Hunter

The research described in this Bureau of Minus report was conducted to improve the chromium-iron ratio of offgrade chromite. Two methods were used: (1) Iron was selectively reduced from chromite by carbothermic reduction in an electric-arc furnace, and (2) a mixture of carbon, chromite, and sometimes fluorspar was chlorinated to remove a substantial part of the iron. Chromite concentrate from the Mouat deposit in Montana and from northern California was used in the test work. Chromium-bearing slag and chromite that had been beneficiated by a roast-leach process were each smelted to produce high-carbon ferrochromium. Iron was selectively reduced in a laboratory-scale., electric-arc furnace. Carbon additions to the smelting charges varied from 40 to 100 percent of the stoichiometric requirement, and slag basicities were varied from 0.4 to 1.0 chromium-iron ratios of more than 4:1 were obtained with 89 percent recovery of chromium in a chromium-bearing slag.

Jan 1, 1962

By Robert B. Hoekzema

The Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey completed a 4-yr (1979-82) mineral appraisal of the Chugach National Forest (CNF), AK. This report summarizes the Bureau's placer gold studies in the CNF. Placer mining from the mid-1890's through 1982 produced an estimated 133,800 oz of gold, of which two-thirds was produced prior to 1920. As much as 6,800 oz of placer gold was produced from 1979 to 1982. Most production came from Crow, Canyon, and Resurrection Creeks. Five types of placer gold deposits were identified in the CNF: (1) alluvial placers, (2) bench placers, (3) eluvial placers, (4) glacial placers, and (5) marine placers. Placer sampling indicated a potential for gold production from alluvial and bench placers associated with historically mined drainages such as Crow, Canyon, Resurrection, Sixmile, and Mills Creeks and from unmined drainages including the Avery, Kings, Snow, Copper, and Tasnuna Rivers and several smaller streams throughout the CNF. Results of fineness tests indicated that gold from the CNF ranges from 455 to over 950 fine. Subsequent investigations in drainages with anomalous placer sample values also identified previously unknown lode mineralization.

Jan 1, 1986

By W. C. Blanchard

Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) is a remote sensing technique using active backscatter. This technique is applicable to the testing for faults and multiple partial faults on cable. The battery operated hardware developed on this con¬tract has tailored this technique for testing of mining equipment trailing electrical cables. The processing of-t-he back-scatter is accomplished using a microprocessor. The visual output from the hardware to the operator is; the type, magnitude and distance to the cable fault in a numerical format. This greatly simplifys the use of this techniques for the operator.

Jan 1, 1980

By Martin Smirlock

A novel instrumentation system has been developed which enables simple, quick, and accurate measurement of vehicular dynamics within low speed ranges. The system, consisting of a microwave transceiver and microprocessor data acquisition and reduction system, measures the deceleration dynamics of low-speed mining and construction equipment. It makes the basic measurement, calculates key parameters such as average deceleration, initial velocity, stopping distance, and brake system delay time, and produces autoscaled graphs of velocity, acceleration, and displacement versus time.

Jan 1, 1981

By Margaret R. Egan

The Bureau of Mines subjected three commercially available brands of transformer fluid to a series of combustion studies. The experiments were conducted in the intermediate-scale fire tunnel, which was designed to simulate environmental conditions in underground mines. The work was divided into three phases. In phase one, the brands were compared for gas production, smoke characteristics, and combustion yields. In phase two, the production constants of transformer fluids and other fuels were compared for the rate of formation of gas and smoke as a function of fire size. In phase three, several diameters of liquid-pool fires were compared in terms of fire size and burning rate. These transformer fluid measurements will be added to the existing coal and wood data that can be used as a basis of comparison for future studies of other mine combustibles. Further research into the combustion product emissions from combustible materials found in underground mines will lead to improved and realistic fire detection and suppression systems,

Jan 1, 1986

By J. Koster

Boron is an element whose metallurgical possibilities never have been investigated thoroughly, probably because of the difficulties experienced in the preparation of elemental boron and its intermetallic compounds. The southwestern United States contain the world's largest deposits of boron minerals. In general, the mineral is readily available, and mining costs are not excessive. The most important boron mineral of commerce is borax (sodium tetraborate); however, there are large deposits of colemanite (a mineral having the composition represented by 2CaO 3B203 5H20) in Clark County, Nov. This material was worked in times past by converting it to sodium tetraborate. In recent years the deposits have laid idle because of a mere readily available source of borax in the old lake beds of California.

Jan 1, 1940

Electrical trailing cables are frequently damaged in usage, especially on continuous minors, and because of their weight and damaged condition present a safety hazard to personnel required to handle them. The U.S. Bureau of Mines and FMC Corporation signed Contract No. HO 122011 in August 1971. One of the contract tasks was to study the feasibility of techniques to improve trailing cable support and handling of power cables on underground coal mine machinery and to design a cable-handling device for a continuous mining machine. This report presents the results of the feasibility study, describes the design for a proposed cable handling device and concludes with a recommendation for future action to construct a test rig to evaluate the cable reel system.

Jan 1, 1972

By Mark S. Sanders

Six underground coal mine shuttle cars (three high seam and three low seam) were used to assess visibility using the concept of visual attention locations (VALs) and an improved human eye reference measurement instrument (HERMI Mark II). Each machine was assessed in the inby and outby direction of travel with no canopy and with the canopy in its highest, and lowest position. In addition, the illumination level at each VAL was determined. Results showed that the most important variable determining visibility was operator eye position. When this variable is controlled, the addition of a canopy has no effect on visibility. Further, with eye position controlled, there is no difference in visibility between high and low seam machines. The visibility and illumination assessments found blind spots in the operator's field of view located on the opposite side of the car from the operator and ahead of the machine. Suggestions for reducing the blind spots were made. The report also included a procedure manual for using HERMI and the system of VALs to assess visibility from underground shuttle cars, continuous miners, and scoops.

Jan 1, 1983

By E. R. Maize

[In %-port of Invcstiptionn 7452 ,g dcniing with roof ~wet,ent in the Cmcibla r~ine, rof&apos;erence .,as m.da to the f~ct tiwt timker decny war, bsing studied at tho tine of writing. Thic napor, written a3er completion of that ~tudy, describ~s t1l.e ~mrl&apos;: and sunlharizea the fiats obtained. Ifhen tlle stu* oi roof novement bras be,- at Cxcible tw igeas \%.ere a6-r;incsd. on decay of tiriber Q: scne of :he olficialr;: (I.) 9:la.t timber decay v:as unustmlly rapid in ,tho Ciuoiblc mins, ,m?. ((2) that timber coated with rock ri..~st deixiyad morrl mpirlly thnn those %hat vsrc not so coated. Thsx ::ore no records by which tkeso &apos;iaeas could &apos;L;e tertcc?, ard it cnpsarefi vise to make a limite6 in- vo3tiption, p~.rticu!.ai.ly of +.he effect of roc!< dusting on decny, as rock ductirg is nn importnnt mer-ns of ~rc-,rcnt?;~g cad-dust eql-osions. ]

Jan 1, 1941

By Charles L. Kimbell

The year 1979 was a period of increased activity for the world&apos;s mineral industry, distinctly in contrast with 1978 when estimated world crude mineral output value declined slightly and most phases of the industry&apos;s activity were somewhat curtailed. In 1979, most major mineral commodities recorded significant gains in output, with a substantial number achieving new record highs; details on trade levels for 1979 were not available, but increases over those of 1978 were expected on the basis of partial data. Consumption of most commodities edged higher; in some cases the higher demand levels were met largely through draw-downs of stocks accumulated in recent years, while in other cases notable output increases were required to meet demand. Actually, 1978 was not a bad year for all elements of the mineral industry if changes in output levels of the various commodities are considered as a measure of performance. There were far more individual commodities registering production increases between 1977 and 1978 than registered declines, but some of those reported as declining were relatively major commodities (bauxite, aluminum, copper and zinc were notable), Moreover, the upturn in productive activity in 1978 was not matched by increases in profits. However, 1979 was unquestionably a year of renewed expansion efforts, although some commodity areas, most notably the steel industry component, were still experiencing difficulties.

Jan 1, 1981

By Graham W. Marks, Betsy M. Jones

"Recently4/ it was shown that the total energy method5/ of spectrochemical analysis is suitable for the quantitative estimation of many of the elements of which ores are composed. It was shown how this method can be applied to the determination of germanium, tin, and lead. Continuing this work, the present report deals with analyses for beryllium, zinc, cadmium, and indium.There are three basic problems in these investigations. The first is to study the influence of those elements that make up the greater part of an ore sample on the spectral-line intensities of the elements for which analyses are being made, the latter generally being the minor constituents. The second is to develop proper methods for the preparation of standard spectrographic curves. Finally, we are concerned with improvement in equipment and procedure, so that greater accuracy can be achieved.As discussed previously, it is better to study as groups those elements that belong to the same group in the periodic table because their spectra are similar. Beryllium, zinc, and cadmium are thus related. Indium was included in this work because it is associated with zinc and cadmium in zinc ores.The authors wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance of the staff of the Bureau of Mines Analytical Laboratory who made the chemical analyses and supplied the ore samples used in this work.A brief description of the procedures followed in making the standard curves and analyses is given below; a detailed discussion will be found in an earlier paper.6/Basically, the procedure for determining a standard curve consists of two parts: (1) Choosing a suitable line in the spectrum of the element to be determined and (2) determining the variation in the intensity of this line with the amount of the element burned in the arc."

Nov 1, 1948

By J. L. Hoffman, F. W. Wood, R. A. Beall, W. E. Anable

For melting and purifying reactive and refractory metals , two electronbeam furnaces have been constructed and operated on the principle of highpowered vacuum diodes . It was necessary to design the vacuum and electrical systems , mechanical features , and operating procedures to cope with dynamic conditions . Vacuums of 10-5 torr , tens of kilowatts of power at 5 to 10 kilovolts , and the evolution of impurities at thousands of liters per minute constitute a challenging combination . The furnaces have been used to melt either button specimens weighing several hundred grams or , by feeding material as a consumable electrode , small ingots weighing several kilograms . Hafnium is among the metals that can be purified . For example , hafnium starting material with Rhn 94B was softened to Rhn 70B after 2 hours of melting under a 25 - kw electron beam , and impurity levels were reduced as follows : Oxygen , from 700 to 350 ppm ; nitrogen , from 71 to 20 ppm ; hydrogen , from 6 to 1 ppm ; aluminum from 75 to < 20 ppm ; chromium , from 80 to < 10 ppm ; iron , from 100 to 40 ppm ; and silicon , from 40 to < 20 ppm .

Jan 1, 1963