Search Documents

By J. L. Holman

The Bureau of Mines is conducting research to recover strategic and critical metals such as Ni, Co, and Cr from mixed contaminated super-alloy scrap. One approach being studied involves melt refining of superalloy scrap to produce anodes for electrolytic deposition of Ni-Co alloy. This melt refining of superalloy turnings is described based on melt-oxidation and oxidation-carburization experiments, using roasted superalloy grinding sludge to supply the 0 needed to oxidize Cr and other readily oxidized elements to the slag. Controlled melt-carburization subsequent to oxidation improved the metal phase recovery of Ni and Co to well over 90 pct and decreased electrolytic solubility of Cr, Mo, and W by carbide formation. Electrolytic refining experiments were conducted using a controlled-potential mode (preset cathode potential). Data show effects of Fe and Cr impurities, cation concentration, electrolyte pH, S04-Cl electrolyte ratio, temperature, cathode potential, and cation-selective membrane use on current efficiency, current density, and deposit composition. Disposition of Ni, Co, Cr, MO, W, and Fe is compared for melt-oxidized versus oxidized-plus-carburized anodes. Deposits containing >97 pct Ni + Co (major impurity Fe) have been routinely obtained from scrap anodes. Research is continuing to improve deposit quality in sustained deposition and to recover Cr and other metals from refining slags and anode sludges.

Jan 1, 1986

By A. U. Miller

Protection against fire is a greater problem at a coal mine, than at an ordinary industrial plant. Generally mines are located in isolated districts and do not have the protection of city fire departments; consequently fire fighting aquipment must be installed by the mining company. Fire protection around a mine is just as essential as it is in the city.. and undoubtedly is more important if the fire should be underground where many lives would be endangered and all means of escape cut off. A surface fire can generally be attacked from any angle, but an underground fire can be attacked only as conditions will permit.. U. S. Bureau of Mines engineers have investigated many serious mine fires that undoubtedly could have been extinguished in incipiency if a fire extinguisher or fire hose and water had been readily available. In past years very little attention was given..to fire fighting equipment and organization around mines, but in recent years three gen a derde hange of opinion among many of those engaged in mining, and nearly all up-to-date mining companies now have some kind of fire protection about their mine Probably the first company in Illinois to install regular fire fighting equipment and effect a fire fighting organization at its mines, was the Madison Coal Corporation, which operates several mines in Illinois. The main office of this company is in Chicago and the general field office is at Glen Carbon, Ill.

Jul 1, 1930

By H. N. Dunning

A comprehensive research program designed to aid development of new and improved methods for more complete production of petroleum from partly depleted reservoirs is being conducted at the Bureau of Mines Petroleum Experiment Station, Bartlesville, Okla. Water flooding has accounted for much of the petroleum produced by secondary-recovery methods; however, a considerable portion of the crude oil commonly remains in place after water flooding has been terminated. In recent years the possibility of increasing the efficiency of water flooding by using surface-active additives has received wide attention. In general, the results of laboratory research have shown that use of detergents as water-flooding additives will reduce the residual petroleum in porous media (1).3/ Some less extensive field tests have supported this conclusion but have not been entirely conclusive (2). Later studies (3, 4) have given conflicting evidence as to the relative worth of detergent additives for water floods in water-wet (hydrophilic) or oil-wet (hydrophobic or lipophilic) reservoir materials. The results of these studies emphasize the need for a more complete understanding of the fundamental principles involved in displacing petroleum from reservoir surfaces by injected fluids. Accordingly, a comprehensive research program was initiated to investigate the practical and fundamental aspects of detergency in petroleum production.

Jan 1, 1953

By C. Q. Cupps

n view of increased interest in secondary recovery of oil in the Cut Bank field, Montana, a review has been made of unpublished data obtained during a 1943-44 study of reservoir oil characteristics in this field. Considerable uncertainty was attached to interpretations of subsurface oil sample analyses from six Cut Bank zone wells, one Lander sand well, and one Moulton sand well, because of adverse sampling conditions and wide range in the data. Much of this uncertainty has been removed by this review which has shown two of the Cut Bank zone samples and the Moulton sand sample to be representative of the reservoir oils. Estimates of original reservoir oil characteristics derived from differential-liberation analyses of these samples show that the oil in the Cut Bank zone was initially saturated at the gas-oil contact pres-sure, 750 psia, and the oil in the Moulton sand was undersaturated with a saturation pressure of only 380 psia. The rest of the samples were indicated to be nonrepresentative of the reservoir oils because of a disproportional vaporization of heavier components of the solution gas. The vaporization of these components is believed to be a cumulative effect of contact of the oil with bypassing, light-gravity gas which had been liberated at higher pressures from solution in oil farther back in the formation, or which had come from the gas cap, rather than from the singular effect of gas evolution caused by excessively low bottom-hole pressures. Change of oil composition caused by the latter was found to conform closely to that occurring during a differential liberation of gas in the laboratory.

Jan 1, 1967

By John Ward Smith

The Bureau of Mines drilled Wyoming Corehole No. 1 in Sweetwater County, Wyo., to sample Green River Formation oil shale. Core obtained was assayed for oil yield to determine richness and stratigraphic distribution of oil shale in the deposit. Oil shale in place at Wyoming No. 1 site represents over 200 million barrels of oil per square mile. Additional data useful in evaluating the deposit, including generalized stratigraphy and mineralogy, detailed lithologic descriptions of the core, rock specific gravity, and bore-hole logs, are presented with the oil-yield data. The sampled Wyoming oil shale resembles Mahogany-zone oil shale in rock properties and gross mineralogy. A statistically derived equation relating shale density to oil yield for the Wyoming deposit compares with a similar relationship valid for the better known Mahogany-zone oil shales in Colorado and Utah. A density log from Wyoming Corehole No. 1 is calibrated for direct oil-yield logging. The alternating rich and lean beds of shale at this site may permit creating the permeability necessary for direct production of shale oil from the shale in place.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. W. Town

The Bureau of Mines made continuous-circuit beneficiation studies to determine the optimum conditions for concentrating phosphate minerals from the intermediate-and marginal-grade ores of the Phosphoria Formation in southeast Idaho. Intermediate-grade ore was represented by a sample from Georgetown Canyon and marginal-grade ore from the Gay mine near Fort Hall. Two flow-sheets were developed: The first involved roasting, attrition scrubbing, sizing to remove a concentrate, grinding of the oversize, des liming, and flotation; in the other flowsheet roasting was eliminated. Controlled attrition scrubbing was used to remove clay and silt-size quartz particles imbedded in the phosphate pellets without breaking the pellets. The minus 35-plus 200-mesh fraction was removed by sizing as a finished acid-grade concentrate. The plus 35-mesh material was ground in a rodmill to minus 35 mesh and recycled to the attrition scrubber. The minus 200-mesh fraction was des limed at about 800 mesh to remove clay slimes and floated with 3 to 4 pounds of emulsion per ton of feed. The aqueous fatty-acid oil emulsion consisted by weight of 3 parts No.2 diesel oil, 3 parts crude tall oil, and 0.5 part water-soluble petroleum sulfonate.

Jan 1, 1967

By N. S. Dalal, X. Shi

"The oxidation of NADPH by vanadate(V) in the presence of glutathione reductase showed typical enzymatic kinetics. The oxidation was inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide, a glutathione reductase inhibitor. Superoxide dismutase had no significant effect on the oxidation, indicating non-involvment of the superoxide radical. The vanadate(V) reduction was found to be a one-electron transfer process. These results suggest a new pathway for vanadate(V) metabolism and a new function of glutathione reductase. Compounds of vanadium(V), such as NaV03 , exert potent toxic effects on a wide variety of biological systems (1-3). Despite intense current activity, however, the biochemical mechanism of vanadate(V) toxicity is still not well understood (1- 14). It is believed that one of the important pathways involves the oxidation (by vanadate(V)) of NAD(P)H (15, 16), but, to our knowledge, there has been no report of the identification of any vanadate(V) reductase. With a view to finding if there exists any vanadate(V) reductase, we have investigated the oxidation of NADPH by vanadate(V) in the presence of glutathione reductase. Glutathione reductase (GSSG-R)2 was selected because our previous studies have shown (17) that GSSG-R can act as a reductase for chromate(VI), which is isoelectronic with vanadate(V). We find that GSSG-R does indeed function as a NADPH-dependent vanadate(V) reductase, thus pointing to a new pathway for the metabolism of vanadate(V), as well as to this property for GSSG-R. MATERIALS AND METHODSSodium metavanadate (NaV03 ), henceforth vanadate, was purchased from Aldrich and its solution was always freshly prepared. The GSSG·R used was from bovine intestinal mucosa and was purchased from Sigma. The oxidation of NADPH was followed photometrically as the decrease in absorbance at 340 nm. The spin trap, 5,5-dimethyl- pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), was purchased from Aldrich and used without further purification, since very weak or no spin adduct signal was obtained from the purchased sample when used alone.ESR spectra were obtained at X-band (9.7 GHz) using a Bruker ER200 ESR spectrometer. The magnetic field was calibrated with a self-tracking NMR gaussmeter (Bruker, Model ER035A) and the microwave frequency was measured with a digital frequency counter (Hewlett-Packard, Model 5340A). An ASPECT 2000 computer was used for data storage and analysis. The concentrations given in the figure legends are the final concentrations. All experiments were carried out in the phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.2) and at room temperature."

Jan 1, 1990

By Frank E. Cash

The data in this circular were compiled so that individual phosphate companies might have the benefit of the experience of other phosphate companies, and that industries in general might compare experiences (taking into consideration relative hazards), thereby promoting accident preven¬tion. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The descriptive matter is taken in part from a. paper by Cash and von Bernewitz.4/ Production figures ore from Mineral Resources of the United States;5/ accident data were furnished by each of the operating companies in the pebble-phosphate district, and their assistance in making this report possible is gratefully acknowledged.

Jan 1, 1936

By Arnold B. Hubbard

This report presents a hydrogenolysis study undertaken to obtain information on the constitution of the kerogen or organic material in Colorado oil shale and to determine some of the properties of the hydrogenolysis products. The high yield of hydrogenolysis products was separated, so far as possible, into type compounds; a number were identified. The results thus obtained were used as a basis for proposing the possible existence of certain structures in kerogen. To the authors' knowledge, few or no hydrogenolysis studies have been made of Colorado oil-shale kerogen by others. However, this method has been used in studying the constitution of coal. In general, the coal studies involved treating pulverized coal at different temperatures and hydrogen pressures with different catalysts. In some instances different solvents were used during the treatments.

Jan 1, 1959

By M. M. Tilman

As part of ongoing research to improve mine safety, the Bureau of Mines conducted research on the corrosion of friction rock stabilizer steels in five Missouri lead and iron mine waters. Electrochemical corrosion tests, including evaluation of pitting tendency, were performed on two types of high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steels and galvanized steel in four Missouri lead mine waters and one Missouri iron mine water. The tests were conducted at in-mine water temperatures in both air-saturated and deaerated waters. Static, weight-loss corrosion tests were also conducted on HSLA steel specimens in the five Missouri mine waters for 2,900-h duration at average in-mine water temperatures and air-dissolved oxygen contents of 6 to 7 ppm. Corrosion rates determined by the weight-loss tests were roughly comparable with rates determined electrochemically in deaerated waters containing 0.3 to 0.5 ppm dissolved oxygen content. Passivation of specimen (nongalvanized) surfaces in air-saturated waters resulted in very low electrochemically deter- mined corrosion rates. Pitting-tendency was generally higher for both HSLA steels in air-saturated waters than in deaerated waters. Galvanized steel generally exhibited higher tendency to pitting in the deaerated waters than in the aerated mine waters.

Jan 1, 1985

By K. P. V. Lei

The Bureau of Mines investigated molten salt electrorefining 'n helium atmosphere cells as a means for the production of ductile vanadium. 'Electrolytes composed of NaCl-VCl2, LiCl-NaCl-VCl2, BaCl2-KCl-NaCl-VCl2 KCl-LiCl-VCl2, and CaCl2-NaCl-VCl2 were tested. Two electrolytes, KCl-LiCl-VCl2 and CaCl2-NaCl-VC12, were selected for laboratory-scale production tests. A molten salt electrorefining process was developed for the production of ductile 99.6 percent vanadium from a commercial 90-percent grade. Using the CaCl2-NaCl-VC12 electrolyte, an 87-percent recovery of ductile vanadium was made; an 85-percent recovery was made with the KCl-LiCl-VCl2 electrolyte.

Jan 1, 1967

By David L. Bickel

Stress-relief techniques and instrumentation have been developed through many years of research in the Bureau of Mines and successfully used to determine the in situ state of stress in rock. This report describes the Bureau's three-component borehole deformation gauge and the drilling equipment and accessories used with it. Operation and calibration procedures for the deformation gauge are discussed in detail, along with site selection and overcoring procedures. Information and references included in this publication provide a guide to the Bureau's cover-coring method for determining rock stress.

Jan 1, 1985

By F. du Breuil

BCR National Laboratory (formerly Bituminous Coal Research, Inc.), under a USBM con­tract (originally with the Department of Energy), monitored the installation and operation of a computer-based belt-monitoring and control system at the Barnes & Tucker Coal Co. Mine No. 20, Ebensburg, PA. The system installed was the National Coal Board's Mine Operating System (MINOS) coal transport monitoring and control system. The program objec­tive was to document (1) the installation requirements for a conveyor control system, (2) the operating experience with the system, and (3) the impact of monitoring and control on mine operation. Analysis of the system operation indicates that monitoring and control did improve belt availability significantly, and reduced downtime associated with belt delays. Economic analysis showed the increased belt availability would potentially result in significant production increase, and, therefore, excellent payback on the initial investment. The system performed satisfactorily, was well accepted by the work force, and did not increase the maintenance workload.

Jan 1, 1987

By R. N. Roby

In the course of the Bureau of Mines investigations for suitable sources of high-aluminum clay for the production of alumina, the Whiteware clay deposit was examined in August 1942 by G.N. Bennett, mining engineer, Bureau of Mines, Montana District Office. This report presents the factual data obtained by the investigation, which also includes data on trenching and drilling, and the results of some refractory tests and chemical analyses of representative samples of the clay later taken from some of the best trench exposures and from adit dumps.

Jan 1, 1949

By H. A. Dierks

The work and costs involved in controlling three large fires in abandoned mines in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania are presented in detail. The work was done under authority of Public Law 89-4. Three basic control techniques were successfully employed by the Bureau of Mines: (1) forming underground fire-containing barriers by systematically flushing incombustible material into mine voids, (2) excavating an isolation trench around the fire area, and (3) complete excavation of hot and burning material in the fire area. When methods 2 and 3 were used, the excavations were subsequently back- filled with incombustible material. Preliminary location of fire perimeters by the standard use of patterned 6- and 8-inch-diameter boreholes is discussed. Investigations into air-borne infrared scanning, shallow subsurface thermal anomalies, and the use of helium to trace the movement of mine air currents are covered. Although they are costly and time consuming, boreholes have proven to be the most efficient means to date of obtaining necessary subsurface fire data. Infrared scanning was ineffective in delineating fires under more than 30 feet of cover. Helium-tracing was shown to have a good potential for determining possible hazards to adjacent residential areas from traveling mine fire gases.

Jan 1, 1971

By A. B. Whitehead

A spectrographic method for the determination of 18 impurities in cerium is presented. The carrier distillation technique is utilized to separate the spectra of impurities from the complex spectrum of cerium. Metal samples are ignited to the oxide, mixed with silver chloride carrier containing an internal standard, and excited with a 20-ampere direct-current arc. An additional exposure, made after carrier depletion, provides for the determination of refractory elements. Experiments to determine the best carrier, sample-carrier ratio, electrodes, arc current, exposure conditions, internal standards, and any matrix effect are described. The relative standard deviation of the method at the 20- and 200-part-per-million levels is about 25 and 15 percent, respectively. The average relative error is about 20 percent in the 10- to 1,000-part-per-million concentration range.

Jan 1, 1962

By J. W. Miller

Depletion of coals most suitable for metallurgical fuel has made necessary a general survey of coking coal reserves in the United States. These investigations were begunn 1948 at the joint request of the Munitions Board, Department of Defense, and a number of coal companies. This report, which is one in a series, by counties, describes the preparation characteristics of the coals of Harlan County, Ky. From these data it is possible to determine: (a) Which coals, either as mined or after beneficiation by conventional preparation, are chemically suitable under present standards for producing metallurgical coke, (b) Which coals require special and more intensive treatment in preparation than is now practiced; and (c) Which coals cannot be considered to be potential sources of metallurgical fuel regardless of preparation.

Jan 1, 1955

By Lester G. Morrell

While developments in Australia dominated the minerals industry of the South Pacific area, New Caledonia's nickel, manganese ore from New Hebrides, gold from Fiji and New Guinea, and phosphate rock from several small islands were significant in world supplies of those materials. The total value of mineral commodities produced in this area in 1965 has been estimated at about $763 million an increase of nearly 16 percent over the value reported in 1964. Increases were recorded in mineral production value with respect to that of 1964 for all of the countries except Papua-New Guinea where lower gold output resulted in a drop of about $300,000 and in the several phosphate-producing islands that collectively recorded a value decline of around $1.3 million. Exploration and development activities continued at an intensified level, not only in Australia and New Zealand but also in the British Solomons, Bougainville, and Fiji. Substantial additions to world supplies of iron ore and bauxite are assured and recent discoveries of natural gas, manganese ore, and nickel combine to give Australia a brilliant mineral outlook. Important discoveries of copper on Bougainville Island and on Vanua Levu, the north island of the Fiji group, and a gold mine on Misma Island were being developed during the year, with plans for early production underway. In New Zealand progress has been made on the New Zealand Steel Company project, and preliminary appraisal of a new titano-magnetite beach sand resource on the South Island has aroused considerable industrial interest. Extensive geophysical investigations were carried out in the British Solomon Islands and on Fiji's goldfields. The expansion program that will double output of products by New Caledonia's Société Le Nickel continued through 1965, and several foreign private companies have expressed a desire to initiate additional industries based on nickel prospects in New Caledonia.

Jan 1, 1967

By Wilford S. Wright, Harold E. Heide, Robert L. Thorne, Neal M. Muir, Aner W. Erickson, Bruce I. Thomas

A program of investigation of strategic and critical minerals began in 1940 to examine and develop tungsten occurrences in the western United States and Alaska. During the years in which the nation was at war, this work was given special impetus to stimulate domestic production. This report is a compilation of results of the tungsten investigations in Alaska supplemented by certain data made available by the Territorial Department of Mines and is designed to include in its scope descriptions of all known tungsten occurrences in the Territory. Two areas in Alaska warranted special investigation - one at Gilmore Dome, 16 miles northeast of Fairbanks, and the other in the Hyder District, at the head of Portland Canal. Three tungsten properties - the Stepovich, Colbert, and Yellow Pup - are at Gilmore Dome. The Stepovich property, referred to sometimes as the Cleary Hill tungsten deposit, was worked by the Cleary Hill Mines Co. from April 1942 until May 1944 and was first examined by Robert S. Sanford and Norman Ebbley, Jr., engineers of the Bureau of Mines, in September 1942. The Cleary Hill Mines Co. by that time had explored an 800-foot strike length of the ore zone with 10 bulldozer trenches and was sinking an inclined shaft on ore in the central portion of the explored zone. In January 1943, the senior author, in company with Ebbley and Harry C. Doheny, supervising engineer of R.F.C., examined the property. Preliminary work by the Bureau of Mines began in May 1945, but actual exploration did not commence until late in June and continued until the end of October 1943. The deposit was examined by John B. Mortie, Jr., and William C. Overstreet, of the Federal Geological Survey, in 1942, and this study was continued in 1943 by Frank Byors, who also assisted the Bureau’s engineers on geologic problems. A magnetometer survey of this area was undertaken in 1942 by Henry Joosting and Eskil Anderson, engineers of the Territorial Department of Mines, and was completed with Bureau of Mines assistance in 1943. During 1943 the Bureau completed exploratory projects on the Cleary Hill mine and adjacent Colbert prospect. The field work on the Colbert property was begun early in July 1945 and continued intermittently until the end of October 1943, when it was recessed because of subzero weather. During September 1944, the Bureau of Mines established (by means of a few surface trenches) continuity between the Colbert mineralized zone, high on the dome, and the Yellow Pup vein, the lowest known tungsten mineralization in the area. It is generally recognized that any extensive program to develop the area as a whole logically would be carried out from the lower horizon.

Jun 1, 1948

By H. P. Greenwald, H. C. Howarth

There was reported in Bureau of Mines Technical Paper 5754/ a series of tests to determine the compressibility and bearing strength of specimens prepared from blocks of potash salt obtained from a mine near Carlsbad , N. Mex . The events leading up to the investigation were sketched in a foreword by George S. Rice , then chief mining engineer of the Bureau ( retired September 30 , 1937 ) ; this foreword also gives a discussion of the possibility of increasing the ultimate total recovery of the potash salt by " second mining" of pillars or by use of a longwall system . In June 1936 , Rice and the senior author visited Carlsbad with H. I. Smith , chief of the mining division of the Geological Survey , to observe mining then in progress and to discuss with the management of one of the mines records of convergence of roof and floor which they were obtaining . It developed that serious thought was being given to the possibility of roof failure resulting from shear at the faces of pillars . There was envisioned the danger of such cracks extending upward to water - bearing strata . Obviously , the simple compression tests of the potash salt then being made would throw no light on this question , and tests of assemblies of potash and roof salts would have to be made . In this connection it is to be remembered that in the mine no sharp division exists between the potash salt being recovered and the nearly pure halite which forms the roof . The interlocked crystalline structure is continuous , and there is merely a very rapid decrease in the proportion of sylvite in a short distance vertically . Figure 2 of Technical Paper 575 shows that two samples near the top of the salt being mined contained , respectively , 51 and 65 percent potassium chloride . Contrasted with this is an analysis of the roof salt given on page 24 of that publication , which showed only 3.6 percent potassium chloride . As the data given in Technical Paper 575 show , the roof salt is much less plastic than the potash salt . The immediate roof may then be thought of as a more rigid stratum of indefinite extent resting on and continuous with yielding supports and loaded uniformly at the rate of 900 to 950 pounds per square inch . Just what thickness of the salt should be considered as immediate roof is uncertain .

Feb 1, 1938