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By J. E. Tiffany, Z. C. Gaugler

An active list of permissible explosives was published in December 1943 as part of the Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations 3736 under the title "Active List of Permissible Explosives and Blasting Devices Approved Previous to June 30, 1943." This list included 180 brand names. Changes in the list that have been authorized to December 31, 1945, placed 10 additional brands of permissible explosives on the active permis- sible list as a result of tests and changes in brand names.. Twelve permis- sible explosives were transferred from the active. to the inactive list. The present list contains 178 brand names. The brand names of the permissible explosives placed on the active list are as follows: American 3-A By test. Apcol No. 1-B Do. Black Diamond No. 11-B DO. Black Diamond No. 55 DO. Coalite G-1 DO. Coelite K-1 Do. Do. Coalite L-1 Coalite IS-1 Columbia B-2 DO. By change in name. By test. Monobel AA The permissible explosives transferred from the active to the inactive list are as follows: Anthracite B, L. F. Big Red No. 8 Independent No. 1, L. F. Independent No. 2, L. F. Independent No. 3, L. F. Independent No. 4, L. F. Independent No. 5, L. F. Independent No. 9, L. F. Independent No. 9-C, L. F. Independent No. 10, L. F. Independent No. 11, L. F. King No. 9

Jul 1, 1946

By Philip G. Freeman

The growth-promoting properties of coal-derived humus were tested by a variety of bioassay methods. Humate materials used included leonardite, a form of naturally oxidized lignite, and humic acids extracted from leonardite. It was found that the greatest effects were evident when water-soluble humic acid was applied to excised root tips. No significant short-term effect was noted when water-soluble humic acid was applied to stem or coleoptile sections. Root initiation was promoted in bean stems when high concentrations of coal-derived humate were applied. Gross weight of tomato plants was increased by up to 40 percent when coal-derived humates were added in concentrations of 101 to 104 ppm to the nutrient in a hydroponic growth test of 6 weeks' duration. It is concluded that coal-derived humate promotes the uptake of minerals, specifically iron, by serving as a metal chelate.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. J. Jakowsky

[The legislation in many States against the present method of producing carbon-black by the incomplete combustion of natural gas, and the continually increasing demand for gas for otter purposes, indicates that the supply of carbon-black may Gradually be decreased and that new methods for its production, utilizing a greater parentage of the carbon in the has should be developed. In the course of investigations of the effects on hydrocarbons of high voltage discharges, it was noted that under certain conditions natural gas could be decomposed and that carbon-black could be produced. The effects of several tyres of electrical discharges on natural gas have, accordingly, been studied' in order to find out the fundamental factors underlying the reactions and their possible influence in the recovery of a greater part of the carbon content of natural gas than is now possible. Present commercial plants using natural gas for the manufacture of carbon-black recover from 0.9 to 1.5 pounds of carbon-black per thousand cubic feet of gala consumed, or less than 5 per cent of the total Gabon in the gas: It should be noted, however, that the, present methods involve heating the gas to incandescense by burning it as a luminous flame, and a considerable part of the gas is thus consumed as a source of hest. If this heat can be supplied from some other source, or if a more efficient method of applying the energy con. tamed in part of the gas, to the decomposition of the rest of it, can be worked out, then a greater yield of carbon-black per thousand cubic feet of gas care be expected. The present abort paper contains a brief summary of tie investigations so far conducted upon natural gas.]

Jan 1, 1922

By L. C. IlsLey, E. J. Gleim

The extensive use of pulverized coal for fuel in industrial plants has brought to the front again a question that heretofore has been considered only a mining problem, namely, " Can coal dust be ignited by an electric arc ? " If it can be so imited, the next logical query is , "under what conditions can such ignition occur ? " In view of the new problems relating to pulverized coal installations , and because of occasional mine disasters attributed to ignition of coal dust by electric arcs , it seems advisable to review the work done by Thornton and Bowden with electric flashes in coal dust , and to report two preliminary investigations conducted by the Bureau of Mines .

Jun 1, 1922

By T. R. Strombotne

The purpose of this report k to document a contract undertaken by TSA Systems, Incorporated for the United States Bureau of Mines to develop a commercially available source of a continuous, working,, level detector for the measurement of radon daughter products in various working environments. The basic radon measuring technique was devised by Robert Droullard and Robert Holub and has been applied here. For further details or purchasing information contact: TSA Systems, Incorporated 4919 North Broadway Boulder, Colorado 80302

Jan 1, 1982

By John R. Bartels

This report discusses an improved method for rerailing underground railcars devised in a joint effort by the Bureau of Mines and Hoesch MFD. This improved method utilizes a lightweight hydraulic ram with hand-pump activation to move a bridge-mounted roller carriage in conjunction with steel-reinforced air-lift bags. This method provides a lightweight portable system in which only two workers are required to perform the mine car rerailing operation. Because of the very narrow confines in underground mines, use of overhead cranes and other surface rail techniques is not possible. This new system is designed for very low profile work, and provides the necessary lifting force from light- weight compressed-air bottles.

Jan 1, 1985

By J. J. Forbes

The Act of Congress authorizing the establishment of the United States Bureau of Mines became effective July 1, 1910. One of the most important duties Congress delegated to the Bureau in this Act was the study of health and safety conditions in the mineral industries. Early investigations of these conditions revealed the need of prompt Care of injured employees, as, under the difficulties inherent in their occupation, seemingly unimportant wounds if not treated promptly might become infected and cause permanent disability or even death. Many seriously injured persons brought out of mines and plants by fellow workers ignorant of approved methods of giving first aid or of safe means of transportation have been caused suffering and have had injuries accentuated to such a degree as to bring about permanent disability or death. The need of general instruction in first aid thus became apparent. BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST-AID WORK The education of miners in the United States in first aid probably was conducted systematically first by the anthracite industry in Pennsylvania. Subsequently, first-aid training was carried on actively in Alabama and Indiana. Meanwhile, a general training campaign was carried on among industrial workers by the American Red Cross Society; when the Bureau of Mines began its nation-wide campaign of instructing employees of the mineral industries, the Red Cross turned over that part of its industrial training work to the Bureau but continued to cooperate by furnishing surgeons as judges in important first-aid contests and demonstr tions and assisted for a number of years in determining training methods.

Jan 1, 1937

By Rees D. Groves

The Bureau of Mines conducted research on reactions of copper sulfide minerals with chlorine in an aqueous system. Selected samples of covellite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, bornite, and pyrite were leached with aqueous chlorine solutions. The mineral samples were sized on to minus 100- plus 325-mesh, individually mixed with precleaned sand and leached in an enclosed percolation column. Each mineral was leached in stages to achieve about 90 percent mineral dissolution. The chlorine leaching solutions were produced by reacting sodium hypochlorite with hydrochloric acid within the closed system. The study showed that when the mineral dissolution was complete, the reaction products (copper, iron, and sulfur) were in their highest oxidation states and a stoichiometric amount of chlorine was consumed. Although elemental sulfur formed as an intermediate product, it was oxidized to sulfate during the leach.

Jan 1, 1973

By George C. Branner

This study was planned to present salient facts of the California and Nevada sulfur industries and to indicate existing opportunities for increased economic utilization of California and Nevada sulfur resources. Numerous publications on sulfur have been issued by the Federal Bureau of Mines, including Information Circular 6329, Sulfur, by Robert H. Ridgway (1930); annual Minerals Yearbook chapters on Sulfur and Pyrites, by various authors; and a chapter on Sulfur by G. W. Josephson in Bureau of Mines Bulletin 556, Mineral Pacts and Problems (1956). This literature, however, deals primarily with the national and international sulfur situation and does not attempt to analyze the possibilities for increased economic development of sulfur resources by individual States. The present study attempts to analyze these possibilities in California and Nevada and to (1) evaluate factors that have influenced production and consumption in California and Nevada and (2) indicate apparent trends in production, consumption, and prices in these States.

Jan 1, 1959

By Raja V. Ramani, Robert L. Frantz

"In response to the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) Request for Proposal (RFP) for "" the establishment of a Generic Mineral Technology Center (GTC) in Respirable Dust,"" the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institutes (MRIs) at The Pennsylvania State University (PSU) and West Virginia University (WVU) in association with participating MRIs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Minnesota (UMN) have prepared the comprehensive research program described herein. Michigan Technological University (MTU) joined the Center as an affiliate after its inception. This program was developed with recognition of the stated objective of the Federal Mine Safety and Health laws which is to "". . . permit each miner the opportunity to work underground during the period of his entire adult working life without incurring any disability from pneumoconiosis or any other occupation-related disease . . . .""Exposure to respirable contaminants in mine atmospheres has long posed a serious hazard to miners. The control of these hazards, some of which can have sudden and catastrophic consequences and some others, slow and long enduring, has been a major concern for labor, management and the government. This concern has manifested itself in four mechanisms of control -- (1) regulatory control through minimum standard setting by the passage of mine health and safety laws, (2) engineering control through design and operation of mines according to the best recommended practices, (3) interaction of dust and lung control through periodic physical examinations, wearing personal protection devices, etc., and (4) legal and social control through workman's compensation laws for occupation related health deterioration."

Aug 31, 1989

By James D. Noll, Jon A. Hummer, Aleksandar D. Bugarski, George H. Jr. Schnakenberg, Steven E. Mischler, Larry D. Patts

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conducted a study to determine the effects of selected, state-of-the-art emission control technologies on the ambient concentrations of particulate matter and gases emitted by underground diesel-powered mining equipment. Tests were conducted in an isolated zone of an underground mine to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative fuel formulations, namely, water-fuel emulsions, blended biodiesel fuels, ultralow sulfur diesel fuel, and #1 diesel; and selected exhaust after treatment devices, namely, diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs), diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems, and filtration systems designed around high-temperature disposable filter elements. The results showed that using a cold-weather and warm-weather water-fuel emulsion formulation reduced mass concentrations of elemental carbon (EC) by about 70% and 85%, respectively. The 20% and 50% soy biodiesel blends reduced EC by 49% and 66%, respectively. The reductions were slightly less pronounced for the 20% and 50% yellow grease biodiesel blends—33% and 56%, respectively. EC concentrations were unaffected by using ultralow sulfur diesel in place of #1 diesel. Use of the reformulated fuels did not substantially alter the concentrations of nitric oxide and carbon monoxide. However, a measurable increase in the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) peak concentration was observed during the biodiesel tests. The ArvinMeritor (AM) fuel-burner DPF system with a palladium-catalyzed DOC reduced EC concentrations by 92%. The diesel filter elements from Donaldson Co., Inc., and Filter Service & Testing Corp. reduced the EC concentration of the mine air by 92% and 70%, respectively. When the palladium-based DOC was used with the AM DPF, it raised the average and peak downstream NO2 concentrations by a factor of three. Tests of the AM DPF system with a platinum-catalyzed DOC and CAP/ETG catalytic particulate oxidizer system had to be terminated because the elevated NO2 concentrations threatened to overexpose the operator. The tests with only a selected DOC also resulted in increased NO2 concentrations in mine air.

Jan 8, 2006

This Bureau of Mines publication describes the plan used to instrument two longwall gateroads at the Powhatan No. 4 Mine of the Quarto Mining Co. Vibrating wire stressmeters, flat jack U-cells, multipoint extensometer stations, and convergence stations were installed in or on the coal pillars, roof bolts, and roof strata of the gateroad entries. The instruments measure pillar stresses, bolt loadings, and strata movements as the gateroad entries are developed and the longwall panel(s) is mined. The report details only the instrumentation plan of the longwall gateroads and not the evaluation of any subsequent data. This is because a complete analy-sis of the data cannot be made until extraction of the longwall panel(s) is complete.

Jan 1, 1982

By Robert J. Anderson

"Introductory Statement.In founding any kind of castings, even with the best practice, scrap castings are produced because of rejections for certain defects. Casting los¬ses are a serious source of financial loss in iron and steel foundry practice as well as, in brass and bronze, but they are particularly serious in aluminum foundry work because of the high value of aluminum. The indications are that in many aluminum foundries in the United States, the casting losses are at times high, and in some plants they are entirely too high when compared with average practice. Of course, defective castings have a residual value for remelting, but if much machine work has been done on a casting before it is scraped, the labor costs alone may exceed the value of the metal and even that of the rough casting.In a foundry, the monetary losses incurred through the production of waster castings can be ascertained from calculations based upon adequate scrap-loss reports. Such reports, when properly kept and interpreted are a valuable aid in finding foundry costs, but they are primarily useful in diagnosing the causes for casting losses. Many aluminum foundries in the United States do not keep adequate records of strap losses; as a result the causes for defective castings can not be traced, nor preventative measures adopted. However, some of the large aluminum foundries keep excellent records, and it has been found that these involve little extra expense for clerical work. If a foundry man will study his daily production of defective and waster castings, he will be able to trace the causes or losses and then make such corrections in his plant practice as will effect a considerable reduction in these losses -- as much as 50.0 per tent in some foundries. If all the present casting losses of the United States could be reduced 50.0 per cent, by eliminating only the readily preventable defectives, a saving of several million dollars would accrue. In the aluminum-foundry industry alone, the saving would amount to about $600,000."

Apr 1, 1920

By George S. Rice

"The successful use of the gas mask by the American Army it France in combatting the poisonous gases of German .shells caused many Army men to feel that the as masks were proof against any kind of gas which might be encountered. The result has been that from time to time there have been reported in the press, deaths of former army men through using their masks to enter various kinds of gases such as illuminating gas, gasoline vapor, and the gaseous atmospheres produced by mine fire. Such a case has just been reported from a mine, in Copperopolis, California, where a former Army man lost his life in descending a mine shaft filled with the fumes of a mine fire. Another man who, in attempting to rescue him, merely used a dust respirator, lost his life also.While the American type of the Army gas mask was developed by the Bureau of Mines for the War Department, and since the war a section of the Bureau's in¬vestigative force has been developing industrial gas masks for certain specificgases, the Bureau has repeatedly called to the attention of the public the fact that such masks have serious limitations and in no case should a gas mask be used in underground workings for the reason that there may be an insufficient amount of oxygen to breathe, (and the gas mask does not supply oxygen) or there may be present carbon monoxide, which the Army mask will not remove, and there always is some carbon monoxide produced by a mine fire or by a coal-mine explosion, or by a blast of dynamite or other explosive.It is true that the Bureau has been developing a mask which may take care of a small percentage of carbon monoxide, that is, one per cent and under, but in mine fires and after explosions, there may be, and frequently is, a much larger percentage of carbon monoxide in the mine atmosphere. Masks such as these, for small percentages of carbon monoxide and associated gases are for use in connection with industrial surface plants, as for example, on the top of a blast furnace or around gas producers in the open air."

Oct 1, 1920

By Verne E. Hooker

Stress relief measurements were made at three underground test sites associated with the Henderson project, American Metal Climax, located in the rugged, mountainous region between Loveland Pass and Berthoud Pass on the Continental Divide in Colorado. Sufficient data were obtained to determine the three-dimensional stress ellipsoid for each site. The measurements were made at hole depths greater than one diameter of the mined opening; thus, calculated stresses are representative of premining in situ conditions. The vertical components of stress are in good agreement with overburden depth including the influence of mountain topography. Horizontal components of stress substantially increase with depth. These components are believed to be influenced by stresses presumably of tectonic origin. The largest measured principal stress was 5,900 psi at a depth of 3.708 feet. The predominant orientation of maximum principal stress for the determinations at greatest depth is in the NW-SE quadrants.

Jan 1, 1972

By John R. Benham

In 1979 and 1980, the U.S. Bureau of Mines and U.S. Geological Survey conducted a mineral survey of the 20,500 acre Black Butte RARE II area (No. 5102) in the Los Padres National Forest (fig. 1). The work by the Bureau of Mines indicates that the potential tor mineral resources in the area is low. Samples of outcrops and stream channels contained no economic minerals. A mercury deposit near a granodiorite-sedimentary rock contact occurs 2 mi northeast of the study area, but similar deposits have not been discovered within the area. Geothermal potential exists near Tassajara Hot Springs, but no thermal springs occur in the area; nor have oil, gas, or coal resources been found.

Jan 1, 1982

By S. H. Ash

As part of the work done at the Washington coal mines during the year 1929 , a study was made of the safety practices in and about the mines . Inasmuch as electrical blasting has made considerable headway it is interesting to note the manner in which it is done and the reasons why it was discarded at some of the mines . Blasting is done at the mines in the State by means of capped fuse , electric blasting " caps , " and in some instances by electric delay detonators . Black blasting powder with fuse is used at most of the open- light mines . The use of squibs was discontinued several years ago because the coal operators , without exception , recognized the dangers incidental to their use . Permissible explosive and dynamite are also used at some of the open- light mines . With the exception of some rock work and the driving of level work in gangways and air courses the explosive is detonated by means of capped fuse .

Apr 1, 1930

By James S. Browning

Domestic production of lithium minerals, source of the lightest metallic element, has increased from an average of 1,327 short tons of concentrate in the 1935-39 period to approximately 37,830 short tons in 1954. This rather phenomenal growth in production and use reflects growing industrial interest in the metal and its salts. This information circular has been prepared to summarize for the casual technical reader the reserve, mining, processing, and consumption situation pertaining to the mineral spodumene - the principal source of lithium. A relatively complete bibliography is included for those who may need more detailed information.

Jan 1, 1958

By K. C. Dean

Time and motion studies were made by the Federal Bureau of Mines on the hand and machine dismantling of scrapped auto starter motors, generators, and alternators for recovery of copper, aluminum, and iron. The studies showed that an individual with power handtools and convenient access to a hydraulic press, power bandsaw, acetylene torch, and power lathe could, in an 8-hour day, disassemble about 100 starters, or 150 generators, or 30 alternators. The scrap copper yield would be 280, 390, and 45 pounds, respectively, and the iron yield would be about seven times the copper weight. About 100 pounds of aluminum would be obtained from the alternators.

Jan 1, 1976

By Elaine Cullen, Launa Mallett, Mike Jenkins, C. M. K. Boldt, Thomas Camm

The material in this Information Circular was presented at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) open-industry briefing held during the 2004 Northwest Mining Association conference in Spokane, WA. The open-industry briefing discussed results of recently completed and on-going mine safety- and health-related research conducted at NIOSH’s Spokane and Pittsburgh Research Laboratories on the human side of mining—the miner. The first paper sets the stage for what mining has achieved and what we mean by “getting to zero.” The second paper, “Help Experienced Miners Become Great On-the-Job Trainers,” distinguishes between experienced miners and trainers. This paper provides some key concepts for turning great miners into great trainers. “The Power of Story-Telling in Getting Through to Miners” explains the history and importance of stories in the culture and training of miners. Finally, “Understanding Self in Stressful Working Environments,” describes the personal and social aspects of the working environment, much of which parallels familial theories. The downward trend of deaths in U.S. mining has been remarkable. The number of miners killed or injured each year has decreased steadily over the past 100 years. Some charts show these trends overlain with important events such as World War II and the Mine Safety and Health Act. However, this downward trend in mining fatalities has flattened out. How can you get to zero accidents? Do you concentrate on technological advances and equipment maintenance to avoid malfunctions? Do you concentrate on developing work processes and organizational structures that minimize risk? Do you combine them and take a systems approach that links one to the other with an evaluative loop? Safety efforts in mining have used all of these approaches. What more can we do to get to zero? Getting to zero will require two objectives: A clear and unshakeable belief that it can be done and attention to the human side of mining. Getting to zero is not a new idea; it has been used by mine companies and safety professionals for years as the safety goal. But getting to zero is not so much a physical goal as it is a belief that there are no insurmountable barriers to achieving the goal.

Jan 3, 2006