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By D. Harrington

A uniform hoisting-signal code for mines hoisting from more than one level, if adopted by all mining States, would be beneficial to employees and owners alike and should largely reduce the number of hoisting accidents. Misunderstood hoisting signals cause many shaft accidents involving injuries to men, damage to equipment, and loss of production from the resultant delay. Many of the metal-mining States have adopted codes for hoisting that are effective within the borders of that State but usually entirely different from the signal code, if any, in use in an adjoining State. For many years safety engineers have recognized this lack of uniformity as a distinct hazard, but a uniform code has never been adopted by the States or by the mining industry in those States that have not incorporated signal codes in their mining laws or mining regulations.

Jan 1, 1944

By Charles A. Seitz

This Bureau of Mines report describes a chromatographic method for analyzing impurities in helium that utilizes a helium carrier gas contain-ing 25 to 30 ppm Ne. An example of the effect of trace amounts of nitrogen, methane, and moisture on the detector's response is shown. The added neon in the carrier does away with irregularities of the analysis which were experienced when the carrier contained up to 3 ppm Ne. The addition of 25 to 30 ppm Ne causes a loss of sensitivity, but the re-maining sensitivity is adequate for routine analyses. The high-neon carrier allows positive and more linear responses for eight impurities: neon, hydrogen, argon, oxygen, nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and ethane. Neon concentration levels of 0.02 to 125 ppm in helium carrier gases were studied. The high-neon carrier has been in successful rou-tine use in Bureau of Mines helium facilities since October 1981.

Jan 1, 1985

By Terry L. Muldoon

The report describes the development of preliminary requirement specifications for standardized operating controls for roof bolting machines used in underground coal mining. According to recent statistics, roof bolting continues to be one of the most hazardous occupations in underground coal mining. The two principal hazards to the roof bolter operator are the machine itself and roof falls during the bolting cycle. The lack of standardization of machine controls is a major contributor to this hazardous situation. Observations of roof bolting operations and discussions with roof bolter manufacturers coupled with detailed analyses of roof bolter control design specifications were performed during this study. Detailed roof bolter operator task analyses, commonality of control analyses, and classical link analyses were also performed. The results of these analyses were then used to produce preliminary requirement specifications for standardized controls.

Jan 1, 1980

By Charles L. Parsons

Early in 1912, from information received by the Bureau of Mines, it became evident that quantities of valuable radium-bearing ore from Colorado were being exported for manufacture in foreign countries and that at least part of the manufactured product was being returned to this country and sold at a price entirely incommensurate with that received by the miner and the prospector. Consequently, in line with its efforts to increase efficiency in the mining and treatment of mineral resources, the Bureau of Mines undertook an investigation of conditions. Results of this preliminary investigation were published, in the summer of 1913, as Bulletin 70,a which gave an outline of the radium deposits of the West, the conditions of mining, the wastes involved, and the status of the production of radium from its ores. At about this time newspapers and medical journals were publishing statements regarding the value of radium in cancer therapy. These reports, although many of them were exaggerated, brought out clearly the remarkable virtue of the gamma rays for the treatment of cancer and other malignant growths. In view of the fact that the largest known supplies of radium ore in the world are in the States of Colorado and Utah and on the public lands of the United States, it was deemed highly important for the Bureau of Mines to study the production of radium in detail. Such study, it was hoped, would enable the prospector and miner to obtain a fairer price for the ores and would furnish information necessary in case Congress appropriated funds to develop methods for extracting radium from ore on the public lands under Government supervision, to be supplied at cost to the hospitals of the Army, Navy, and Public Health Service.

Jan 1, 1915

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 Martyn F. Roetter

The objectives of the work described in this report are to determine the communications requirements and need for communications, both for voice and control, on longwalls, and to make recommendations for longwall communications equipment and systems. These recommendations are designed to guide the future development of longwall communications. Information necessary for the accomplishment of this work has been gathered by a series of visits to longwall mines and discussions with longwall mine operators, as well as with suppliers of longwall communications and mining equipment and with Bureau of Mines personnel. In addition, it has proven possible, through personal interviews and literature evaluation, to gain an understanding of the experience and attitudes towards longwall communications in countries where longwall mining is far more widespread than in the U.S., namely the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.

Jan 1, 1976

By Earl L. Fosse

"Preliminary examination of the Khayyam mine indicated that greater reserves of copper might be found by trenching, sampling, detailed geological and topographical mapping, and diamond drilling. The deposit seemed to be a potential source of sulfur, also, for use in the manufacture of paper pulp.Formal examination of the Khayyam mine by the Bureau of Mines was a follow-up of a preliminary examination made by W.S. Wright and the author on October 19-21, 1944. John Reed and W. S. Twanhofel, of the Geological Survey, visited the property during the summer of 1943 and suggested that the prospect be examined further.Preliminary examination of the Stumble-On claim was made July 1-3, 1945, concomitant with the formal examination of the Khayyam mine 11/2 miles to the west.In its program of exploration of mineral deposits, the Bureau of lanes has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy, It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each exploratory project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Branch, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts pre¬liminary examinations, performs the actual exploratory work, and prepares the final report, The Metallurgical Branch, R. G. Knickerbocker, chief, analyzes samples and performs beneficiation tests. Both these branches arc under the supervision of Dr. R, S. Dean, assistant director.Special acknowledgment is due Robert S. Sanford, acting chief, Alaska Division, Mining Branch, for his help in the preparation of this report and during the project work.The Khayyam property is situated at 550 18’ north latitude and 1320 24’ west longitude on Prince of Wales Island in Southeastern Alaska. (see fig. 1.) The mine adit is 2,350 feet above sea level, near the summit of a mountain ridge, and 2.8 miles in an airline southwest of the head of McKenzie Inlet, a southern branch of Skown Arm. Skowl arm is navigable by ocean-going vessels .to the mouth of McKenzie Inlet, where reefs and rocky islands limit the channel width to 50 yards. Beyond this point the inlet widens to nearly half a mile. Coast and Geodetic Survey chart 8142 indicates from 12 fathoms of water at this narrow neck to more than 30 fathoms throughout the remainder of McKenzie Inlet, The old ore bunker and dock at the head. of the inlet are beyond repair. A new ore bunker and dock would have to be built if a large-scale mining operation were established.The mine can be reached by trail along the western ridge that lies on the west bank of Omar Creek. The trail is approximately 4 miles in length. The grade is rather steep to an elevation of 1,500 feet, but the last 21 miles can be traveled over gentle slopes along the crest of the ridge.Ketchikan is 30 miles by air and 42 miles by water from the head of McKenzie Inlet. Feed, hardware, fuel oil, lumber, and explosives can be purchased at Ketchikan and delivered by boat to McKenzie Inlet. By using an airplane, all small equipment and camp supplies could be using an airplane, all small equipment and camp supplies could be dropped with cargo parachutes near the mine."

Sep 1, 1946

By N. Kyriazi

The U.S. Bureau of Mines subjected the CSE SR-lOO self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to a series of laboratory treatments designed to simulate various environmental conditions in underground coal mines. The tests were designed to predict the ability of the self-rescuers to withstand those environmental stresses without causing a decrease in wearer protection. The apparatus were heated to 710 C for 48 h, cooled to -450 C for 16 h, vibrated for 9 h, and dropped 1 m on each axis. A critical concern was internal damage to an apparatus, without any obvious external signs, that would cause it to malfunction or seriously degrade its performance. Carbon dioxide (C02) levels in apparatus with combined treatments were higher than in apparatus with individual treatments and untreated apparatus. The higher levels remained within safe limits, however. None of the treatments caused venting of the small oxygen cylinder that provides starter oxygen. Some bottles were found to be empty because of manufacturing defects in the burst disks. This problem was corrected in later models. The heat treatments did make the case ends more difficult to remove and the breathing bag sticky and subsequently more difficult to unfold. An apparatus that was dropped and vibrated had a broken desiccant bag that released some of its contents which compromised the seal of the relief valve. The case was dented from the drops. As with the first-generation self-rescuers, if there is visible damage to the case of the apparatus, the apparatus should be considered to be internally damaged and must be removed from service.

Jan 1, 1990

By Ren G. Dong, Dan E. Welcome

Instrumented handles or dynamometers are widely used to measure hand forces and/or the biodynamic response of hand-arm system. To study hand-transmitted vibration exposure, six generations of instrument handles were constructed or initially developed by researchers in ECTB/HELD/NIOSH. This presentation provided a summary of these handles. Their basic characteristics, limitations, and usefulness are described, which may help their appropriate applications and further improvements. Six Designs of Instrumented Handles Handle 1: The conceptual design is recommended in ISO 10819 (1996)1 for glove test. The grip force is measured by detecting bending strains on a measuring beam in the handle. A special handle fixture was designed to connect the handle to a shaker. Except the screws, the handle and fixture were made from aluminum. Handle 2: The design is based on the principle of shear strain measurement.2-3 Both grip and push forces can be measured simultaneously using this handle. This handle was directly designed for a simulated vibrating tool. Handle 3: This design is basically composed of a handle base, a measuring cap, and two charge-based sensors (Kistler 9212) sandwiched between the base and cap. The handle was also made from aluminum. The fixture for Handle 1 was also used with this handle. This generation of handle has three different handle diameters (30, 40, and 50mm).4 Handle 4: This design is an improvement from Handle 3. The handle fixture was totally redesigned and it was much stiffer than the previous one. The aluminum measuring cap was replaced with a magnesium cap. Handle 5: The basic structure of this handle is the same as that for Handle 3. However, the piezoelectric sensors were replaced with two strain gage based sensors (Interface SML-50). Handle 6: This handle includes two measuring caps, four piezoelectric sensors, and a handle centre base. The handle fixture was the same as that with Handle 4. Methods for Handle Examinations The static and dynamic characterizations were performed using the methods reported by Dong et al.5-6 Results and Discussion Handle 1: The static force measurement depended on the hand grip location on the handle. Its natural frequency was less than 200 Hz.5,6 Because the transmissibility of gloves may not vary significantly with the applied grip force, this handle may be acceptable for glove test. However, the force measurements with this handle may not be reliable. Handle 2: The static force measured with this handle was insensitive to the hand acting location. However, when the handle was vibrating, the force signals could be totally distorted. For this reason, it was not used for vibration studies.

Jan 6, 2006

By Thomas S. Jones

This report discusses processing and use of the principal forms of manganese. The focus is on trends in the United States in the 20th century and specifics of domestic manganese material flows as of about 1990. To protect proprietary data, quantitative assessments are limited to the iron and steel industry, which accounts for about 90% of consumption. Nonmetallurgical uses are considered qualitatively. Approximate disposition of a U.S. cumulative consumption during 1901-90 of an estimated 69 million st of manganese is estimated to be iron and steel slag, 69%; nonmetallurgical uses of a dissipative na¬ture, 10%; iron and steel scrap, 9%; National Defense Stockpile, 3%; unidentified and/or including items in service, 10%. In slag from iron blast furnaces and steelmaking, manganese is present as a minor, relatively im¬mobile component, which so far has been uneconomical to recover. Construction and road building are main applications for these slags. Steel slag contains the greater amount of manganese. Studies by others of global manganese fluxes and the effect of human activities on them also are discussed. One source concludes that the main effect of human activities, via deforestation and agricultural activities, has been to increase the rate of transport of manganese to the oceans.

Jan 1, 1994

By G. S. Scott

Mine fires have occurred since the mining of coal was begun, and they are still occurring. The resulting economic waste may become considerable (219),3 especially if a fire is allowed to assume major proportions or to get beyond control temporarily. It is important, therefore, to act promptly whenever a fire is suspected and to have every action count. To do this effectively, it is necessary to know at the earliest possible moment and thereafter what is happening in a remote or inaccessible area. It is equally important to know before¬hand what may be expected as a result of any proposed combative measure. The logical method of combatting a fire demands the cooperation of both mining engineer and chemist. They should decide the course of action to be taken, drawing upon the mining engineer's intimate knowledge of the physical structure of the fire area, the cost and time required for proposed operations, and the probable efficiency with which they could be carried out, and upon the chemist's knowledge of the results to be expected therefrom.

Jan 1, 1944

By Albert H. Clough

The West Lynn Canal subarea of the Juneau Mining District (JMD) is defined by Lynn Canal on the east, Davidson Glacier to the north, Icy Strait to the south and the Glacier Bay National Park Boundary to the west (figs. C-l and C-2). This area extends along the main-land west of Juneau (across Lynn Canal) northerly, to approximately 20 miles south of the city of Haines. The only roads in the area are relatively new logging roads at the southern end constructed to support a U.S. Forest Service timber sale. There is also local road access near the community of Excursion Inlet. Access to the remainder of the region is either by boat, aircraft, or 'foot. Helicopters provide the only time effective access to all but the coastal parts of the West Lynn Canal subarea. Coastal areas may be reached by small boat or float aircraft. There is an unimproved dirt airstrip just north of the mouth of the Endicott River. This airstrip is suitable for use by light aircraft. The subarea lies within the Tongass National Forest and is managed by the Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service. Approximately two-thirds of the forest lands are open to mineral entry under the current Tongass Land Management plan. The remaining forest lands comprise the Endicott River Wilderness area, which is closed to mineral entry. Private lands within the study area are sparse, with scattered homestead tracts along the coastal regions and in the Excursion Inlet area. Sealaska (Southeast Alaska Regional Native Corporation) also has land selections in the southern Chilkat Range. Tidal and submerged lands are owned by the State of Alaska.

Jan 1, 2012

By Mackenzie Burnett

The Brattice Window Method was used to measure the leakage rates of a total of 42 ventilation stoppings in 8 hardrock mines. Various types of stopping construction were evaluated. The following types are listed in order of decreasing effectiveness: 1) Cinder block, 2) Timber and mortar, 3) Timber and polyurethane foam, and 4) Timber and brattice material. There are slight differences in the effectiveness of the first three types, while the timber and brattice type is substantially inferior to the others. The repeatability of the Brattice Window Method was found to vary with physical conditions in the mine such as stopping location with respect to intersections, regularity of drift cross section, and the presence of hardware such as air and water pipes, timber sets and wire mesh. The Brattice Window Method is viewed primarily as a tool for estimating and comparing stopping leakages for the purpose of determining where repair efforts should be concentrated. A laboratory test program resulted in the derivation of several "rules of thumb" for employing the Brattice Window Method, which will aid in securing accurate and repeatable data.

Jan 1, 1979

By J. R. Thoenen

In June 1929 the Bureau of Mines issued a 13-page information circular entitled "Mineral Wool," which was one of the first publications to present to the public Rome technical aspects of the mineral-wool industry. Since then several articles on the subject have appeared in the technical press as well as in publications of State organizations. Inquiries for information on mineral wool have continued to be received by the Bureau of Mines in large number, and in 1935 it was decided to make a field survey of the plants then producing and to collect therefrom technical data to be compiled in a paper for nubile distribution. With the cooperation of the industry, this survey was made, and Information Circular 6984, Mineral Wool, was published in January 1930. The issue was exhausted after a few months, and requests for copies continued to come to the Bureau. As opportunity arose, further field studies were made in American as well as Canadian plants. The present circular contains the essential information in Information Circular 6994 together with date from later field studies.

Jan 1, 1939

These proceedings consist of an overview of the underground metal and nonmetal mina fire protection research currently being conducted by the Bureau of Mines. The following papers address the areas of prompt, reliable fire detection, fire planning and warning, fire suppression, and personnel protection. Selected topics are included here that cover fire protection systems for shafts, underground fueling areas, and mobile underground mining equipment; spontaneous combustion, improved stench, and product-of-combustion fire warning systems; computer-aided ventilation modeling; fire doors; and an investigation of fire hazards in mine timbers. The projects described provide a current documentation of problems being addressed.

Jan 1, 1981

By A. Renton Amell

The rate of dissolution of U02 was measured in acid solutions similar to those used for in situ leaching, with S04 of 10-1.82 to 10-4 M, Fe(III) of 10-2 to 10-4 M and pH's of 1.1 to 2.3. The dependence of dissolution rate on pH was small and inconsistent, probably reflecting the combined effects of a very weakly polar oxidizing complex, probably FeSO4+, and a nearly neutral U02 surface. Differences in the state of the U02 surface may explain this variability as well as contrasts between these results and results reported in other work. Changing either S04 or Fe(III) concentrations significantly affects dissolution rates. Increasing low sulfate concentrations in solutions containing 10 2 M Fe(III) at pH 2 results in formation of FeSO4+. In such solutions, rates increased with (S04)/(Fe(III)) up to 1:30, thereby indicating that the oxidation of U02 by FeSO4 is more rapid than by Fe3+. However, the dissolution rate decreased at higher (SO4)/ (Fe(III)), due either to sorption of SO42- on the UO2 surface or to formation of other less reactive sulfate complexes such as Fe(S04)2 or FeHSO4+ However, Fe(III) concentration is the dominant factor in determining solution rates. The rate was directly proportional to ferric iron concentration, indicating that the rate-determining step of the dissolution reaction is a single-electron oxidation by a ferric complex. Dissolution rates were lower in solutions of 0.1 and 1.0% H202 (0.029 and 0.29 M) than at similar concentrations of ferric iron because of formation of an insoluble surface coating of uranium peroxide, UO4?4H20. This phase may limit the value of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant in lixiviants, not only by its very low solubility, but perhaps also by filling pores and reducing permeability in the ore body.

Jan 1, 1978

By Jasinder S. Jaspal

Most of the underground coal in the United States is mined via room-and-pillar mining methods with continuous miners. These machines operate intermittently because they have to wait for shuttle cars to interchange positions. To overcome this discontinuity in shuttle car haulage and to realize the full production potential of continuous miners, the U.S. Bureau of Mines developed a multiple-unit continuous haulage (MUCH) system through a research contract with Jeffrey Mining Machinery Div. (JMMD). The MUCH system consists of 12 rubber-tired vehicles and a bridge conveyor. The rubber-tired vehicles are connected by a unique mechanical linkage system to form a 250-ft train. The mechanical linkage permits the vehicles to track-retrack the preceding vehicle in both inby and outby directions. The cut coal cascades from one vehicle to another until it is discharged on the section conveyor belt. The MUCH system provides continuous haulage to the continuous miner. The MUCH system was initially surface tested by JMMD. Subsequent extensive testing was conducted by the Bureau at its test facilities at Bruceton, P A. Deficiencies found during testing were corrected. This report summarizes initial tests by JMMD and subsequent extensive tests and evaluation by the Bureau.

Jan 1, 1989

The Interior Department's Bureau of Mines is the Federal Government's primary research arm in the mineral and fossil-fuel fields. In accordance with its Organic Act of 1910, the Bureau's responsibilities have been reinforced since the passage of the Federal Metal and Nonmetallic Mine Safety Act of 1966, the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, and the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970. The 1966 and 1969 acts deal specifically with the development of safe working conditions and a healthful working environment for those engaged in the mining industry, while the third sets the national policy as follows: " ... to foster and encourage private enterprise in (l) the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining, minerals, metal, and mineral reclamation industries; (2) the orderly and economic development of domestic mineral resources, reserves, and reclamation of metals and minerals to help assure satisfaction of industrial security, and environmental needs; (3) mining, mineral, and metallurgical research, including the use and recycling of scrap to promote the wise and efficient use of our natural and reclaimable mineral resources, and (4) the study and development of [ ]

Jan 1, 1972

By Alton B. Cook

In the Scurry Reef field, Scurry County, Tex., a study was made to determine the physical properties of the oil in all parts of the reservoir by a new method developed for this study. The method involved correlation of data from a survey 1 of the gravity of the produced oil, from measurements of gas-oil ratios on key wells selected to give representative data for the entire reservoir, and from laboratory analyses of reservoir oil samples. A field survey was made of the API gravities of the produced oil by testing oil samples from 107 key wells. Precise gas-oil-ratio tests were made on 45 key wells that were producing under comparable separator-operating conditions. Subsurface-oil samples were obtained from seven wells, selected to provide reservoir oils ranging approximately from a minimum to a maximum in saturation pressure. The physical properties of the subsurface-oil samples were determined, and correlations were made of these laboratory data with the field gas-oil-ratio test data. These correlations were then used to estimate physical properties of the oil throughout the reservoir. A logical procedure of determining the variations in physical properties of reservoir oils in most fields is to obtain and analyze subsurface-oil samples from enough key wells to provide an ample coverage of the field. Under this procedure, data from a large number of samples would be needed to provide the desired information on the Scurry Reef field, as it is one of the largest known in the United States.

Jan 1, 1955

By Stephen A. Swan

Certain types of mobile surface mining equipment are required to be equipped with rollover protective structures (ROPS) capable of protecting the operator in case of a rollover accident. The Bureau of Mines has developed ROPS performance criteria for wheeled front-end loaders. This report reviews the development of rollover test procedures and subsequent testing of ROPS for 52,000-, 286,000-, and 390,000-lb gross vehicle weight (GVW) loaders. The program consisted of both dynamic (roll) and static tests to assist in the development of the ROPS performance criteria. Each test included extensive instrumentation and photographic documentation to fully evaluate the performance of the ROPS. Data summarizing side, longitudinal, and vertical force and deflections are included. The data indicate that for loaders in excess of 240,000 lb, GVW, a side force-to-mass ratio of 1.0 and an energy-to-mass ratio of 6.0 appear to be adequate criteria to protect an operator in the event of a 5400 rollover. For smaller machines, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 11040 performance criteria provide adequate protection. Longitudinal loading, though not ad-dressed in previous ROPS performance criteria, was shown to be a potentially significant factor in ROPS failure. Longitudinal loading and energy criteria equal to 80 pct of side loading criteria are recommended.

Jan 1, 1988