Search Documents

By Virgil J. Stachura

The Bureau of Mines has investigated techniques and instrumentation that measure accurately the airblast overpressures from surface mine blasting. The results include equivalencies between broadband research instrumentation and commercially available impulse precision sound levels meters measuring: root-mean-square, peak, fast, slow, impulse, A and C weighting, C-weighted sound exposure level (CSEL), and "linear" (flat) response. These values were obtained from field measurements and broadband FM tape recordings of production blasts at area and contour coal mines, limestones quarries, and iron mines. Frequency response was determined for 14 commercial systems.

Jan 1, 1981

By G. L. Gates

The waters used to waterflood the Wilmington oilfield were studied by the Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the city of Long Beach, Calif. Increases in the pressure of the injection wells indicated that they were being plugged by materials suspended in the waters. This study was made to identify the suspended materials, determine their origin, and find methods of preventing their formation. The suspended oil-coated materials were iron sulfide, barium sulfate, calcium carbonate, clay, and sand (or silica). Results indicated that the sulfide, which was as high as 90 milligrams per liter, was the product of sulfate-reducing bacteria. The injection of ocean water increased the sulfate content of the waters in the petroleum reservoirs from 3 to 250 milligrams per liter, thereby furnishing sulfate for growth of the bacteria. The waters were supersaturated with barium sulfate. Laboratory tests showed that sulfide could be removed from the waters by adding iron at a cost of 1 to 2 mills per barrel. The solubility of iron sulfide and calcium orthophosphate in the injection waters was also determined.

Jan 1, 1975

By William C. Hood

A leaching column technique that produces effluent similar in quality to coal mine drainage in the Eastern Interior Basin has been developed. The columns are charged with 1000 grams of crushed overburden and cycled through the leaching process once a week for twelve weeks. Inter-relationships among the important chemical constituents are very similar to those present in actual mine drainage waters, but the overall concentrations of ion are more dilute in the leachates. Multiplying the leachate concentrations by a factor of 4.5 gives values similar to mine waters. Available data suggests that each of the leaching cycles represents about three years of natural weathering, so that the leaching technique can predict the evolution of the mire drainage water over a time span of nearly 40 years. Use of the leaching technique with drill core samples should provide a method of approximating mine drainage quality in advance of mining and should be quite useful in identifying potentially toxic units in the overburden. However, the results should he considered to be a 'worst case' situation because the technique' does not consider the effects of reclamation.

Jan 1, 1984

By Dupuy. Leon W.

"INTRODUCTION For many generations the Indian tribes of the southwestern deserts knew of the thermal springs of the Coso District in southwestern Inyo County, Calif. Belief in the reputedly healing qualities of the waters and muds of the area was widespread. F. J. Sanders discovered mercury in the siliceous sinter around the hot springs while he was exploiting the district as a health resort. In searching for new domestic sources of supply of strategic minerals, authorized under the Strategic Materials Act, 3/,the Geological Survey 4/ first examined the deposits, which were drilled and sampled by the Bureau of Mines in the spring of 1941.The deposits investigated comprised three units known, respectively, as The Devils Kitchen, Nicol, and Wheeler. Most of the work was done at the first two.Of particular interest in the Bureau's work on the project was the adaptation and use of the bucket drill as a tool for sampling shallow, soft ore deposit."

Mar 1, 1948

This publication summarizes, for potential contractors and other interested parties, the research, development, and demonstration contract projects programed by the Bureau of Mines for fiscal year 1982 (October 1, 1980 -September 30, 1981) under its Minerals Health and Safety Technology program. Contingencies may require that a significant port ion of the program be deferred into fiscal year 1983. The objective of these projects is to provide an ordered and sequenced series of advances toward the Bureau's overall goal of providing the systems technology required to create a healthier and safer working environment for the Nation's mining and minerals processing workers.

Jan 1, 1981

By James E. Norman

[The flotation of mica is mentioned frequently in the literature, but must of the references have dealt with the recovery of mica by the old anionic collectors. The first use of the new cationic reagents indicated their superiority- as collectors in the flotation and a. agglomerate tabling of micas, feldspars, quartz, clay, and other acidic mineral, but the separation n of these minerals from each other necessitated study of the flotation of each mineral.]

Jan 1, 1941

The investigation summarized in this report addressed two primary issues: the determination and use of correction factors, and the development of guidelines for velocity measurement site selection. Other ancillary issues which were addressed include a comparison of measurement methods and devices, aircourse cross-sectional area measurement, and characteristics of mine airways. An exhaustive literature search and analysis was performed; extensive in-mine experiments were conducted; a quantitative analysis of the data was used to develop correction factor tables and site selection guidelines. The reported results of other researchers who have examined the correction factors and site selection criteria, were analyzed in light of the results of this study. The measurement devices included in the experimental phase were: vane anemometer, vortex shedding anemometer, a prototype thermoanemometer, smoke tube, and, oil of wintergreen. The measurement methods include single-point centerline, timed¬-point traverse, continuous traverse for the anemometers, and various distances and cloud positions for the smoke tube and oil of wintergreen devices.

Jan 1, 1983

By F. E. Armstrong

This report describes development and application by the Bureau of Mines of techniques and instruments for using radioactive inert-gas tracers to determine flow paths through petroleum reservoirs that have natural fracture systems and for which water injection has been selected as the stimulative production method. A field test was made to prove the techniques and evaluate instrumentation. The feasibility of applying the techniques and instruments to the solution of reservoir problems in other stimulative methods of production also is discussed. Oil commonly is displaced from sandstone host rocks by the action of a driving force that causes the oil to move through interstices of the rock and into production wells. In addition to the requirements of oil being trapped within the sand pores and the presence of an effective displacement mechanism, the rock itself must have adequate permeability to permit flow of oil and other fluids.

Jan 1, 1961

By Wilbert J. Huff

The work of the Explosives Division, Bureau of Mines, United States Department of the Interior, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1939, is described in the following pages. This paper is the fourth of a series of annual reports covering the activities of the division since July 1, 1936. The studies outlined in this and preceding reports of the series have been conducted under the direction of the author and the respective unit leaders to whom specific credit is indicated.

Jan 1, 1940

By D. A. Wilson

A cyclic leaching process was developed for selectively leaching and recovering cadmium from nickel-cadmium scrap battery waste. The six major steps in the process are the following: (1) washing the plates to remove KOH electrolyte, (2) roasting at 550° to 600° C to oxidize metallic cadmium and decompose cadmium and nickel salts, (3) leaching with an ammonium nitrate solution, (4) precipitation of the leached cadmium from solution as cadmium carbonate using CO2 gas, (5) removal of CO2 from the lixiviator by adjusting to pH 4.5, heating, and evacuating the system, and (6) removal of small amounts of leached nickel from the lixiviator using a solvent extraction technique. The regenerated lixiviator is then recycled to leach additional plates. Cadmium extraction was 94 percent and the cadmium carbonate product contained 0.14 percent nickel and 0.12 percent cobalt impurity. The leached plates were smelted to a high nickel-low iron alloy with no detectable amounts of cadmium.

Jan 1, 1971

By Ronald B. Stotelmeyer

This report summarizes studies of 28 National Forest roadless areas in Montana completed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) in the period 1974-1993. It also briefly describes 20 areas for which field studies have not been conducted. All 48 of these roadless areas have been recommended for addition to the National Wilderness Preservation System or proposed as special management areas by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) or the Montana congressional delegation. The Bureau studies indicate which parts of the roadless areas have a high likelihood for mineral-resource development. They also show where mineral production has occurred in the past and where abandoned mine workings (possible hazards) would be encountered. The number of mine and prospect workings found are a measure not only of surface disturbance, but of areas not wilderness in character. For the purposes of this report, mine refers to a property which produced (or is currently producing) a mineral commodity, a prospect is a property which has been explored but has no record of production.

Jan 1, 1994

By James E. Norman

[The flotation of mica is mentioned frequently in the literature, but most of the references have dealt with the recovery of mica by the old anionic collectors. The first use of the new cationic reagents indicated their superiority as collectors in the flotation and agglomerate tabling of micas, feldspars, guartz, clay, and other acidic minerals, but the separation of these minerals from each other necessitated of the study of the flotation of each mineral.]

Jan 1, 1941

By J. R. Thoenen

For several years the Bureau of mines has been investigating the characteristics of ground vibrations produced by quarry blasts. Considerable basic information has been obtained in the course of this study, and the results have been made known to the public through various publications listed in the accompanying bibliography. The studies have been confined to obtaining fundamental knowledge of the characteristics of the vibrations themselves, because it was evident at once that he problem was extremely complicated. It was felt that any attempt to predict the effect of a ground vibration on an' type of artificial structure would be useless until the complexities of building vibrations are better understood. As opportunity offered, teats wore made in various types of structures and the effects of vibrations from many different sources were measured. In one set of tests (5)4/, it was demonstrated that the behavior of a building as quite different if it was shaken by vibrations originating outside tae foundation walls than if the source of the vibrations was within the building; vibrations coming from the round outside seemed to shake the building as a single loosely-coupled structure, whereas mechanically induced vibrations within the house seemed to set floors and walls in motion as independent units, each of which communicated its own natural motion to the adjoining member, causing a very complicated movement that was impossible to interpret.

Jan 1, 1938

By J. R. Thoenen

For several years the Bureau of mines has been investigating the characteristics of ground vibrations produced by quarry blasts. Considerable basic information has been obtained in the course of this study, and the results have been made known to the public through various publications listed in the accompanying bibliography The studies have been confined to obtaining fundamental knowledge of the characteristics of the vibrations themselves, because it was evident at once that he problem was extremely complicated. It was felt that any attempt to predict the effect of a ground vibration on any type of artificial structure would be useless until the complexities of building vibrations are better understood. As opportunity offered, teats wore made in various types of structures and the effects of vibrations from many different sources were measured. In one set of tests (5)4/, it was demonstrated that the behavior of a building as quite different if it was shaken by vibrations originating outside tae foundation walls than if the source of the vibrations was within the building; vibrations coming from the ground outside seemed to shake the building as a single, loosely-coupled structure, whereas mechanically induced vibrations within the house seemed to set floors and walls in motion as independent units, each of which communicated its own natural motion to the adjoining member, causing a very complicated movement that was impossible to interpret.

Jan 1, 1938

By William N. Patterson

This report describes the design and testing of an improved quiet hard rock percussion drill. The improved drill incorporates a tappetless design with independent rotation in a hand held drill weighing 50 lbm. Laboratory and field testing in three mines were conducted. The testing showed improved drilling performance with no increase in measured noise levels over the fist design.

Jan 1, 1985

By Mark R. Pettitt

The development of fire hazard criteria for noise control products in underground coal mines are presented. Qualifying requisites of the criteria include maintaining miners' safety, allowing for maximum use of noise control products, and economic feasibility. The burning process is analyzed for its relationship to fire hazard criteria developed by NASA and the FAA, and the mine environment is analyzed in conjunction with the end-use applications of noise control products. Also, the interim fire hazard specification developed by MSHA is appraised as it applies to end-use applications of noise control products. From these analyses and a literature survey, fire hazard criteria are developed. They include an initial screening procedure that evaluates the level of flammability testing required. Fire tests that may be indicated are the Vertical Flame Test, the Ignition Temperature Test, and the 25-Foot Tunnel Test.

Jan 1, 1983

By G. B. Clark

One portion of this project was to test a blast shield and to design some features for a novel tunneling method termed the Automated Drill and Blast System (ADBS). The ADBS tunneling concept was developed for the design of an excavation system of greater efficiency than conventional drill, blast, and muck (DBM) systems by minimizing the down time and approaching the non-cyclic efficiency of continuous tunneling by means of small charge blasting. Small charge blasting uses simultaneously detonated, small light charges (less than 200 grams per hole) in four to eight shallow (24 to 36 in. deep) holes usually in a line. Limitation of the total explosive per blast reduced air blast overpressure, fly rock velocity, vibration, and noise. Thus, shielded equipment can remain at the face and a tunnel shield permits support personnel to work outby the shield at all times. The ADBS equipment will be composed of five components: (1) a chassis, upon which is mounted automated mucking equipment, and a frame which carries (2) the hydraulic drill(s), (3) load/blast system(s), and (4) control cab(s). The blast shield may have its own mounting. Ventilation, horizontal, and vertical alignment controls are incorporated in the system. The blast sheild, which protects personnel outby the advance equipment from air blast overpressure, fly rock, and gases, was tested with full scale small charge blasting. A blast shield was designed, fabricated, and tested under conditions anticipated for a working model. The shield was designed to expand to fit the tunnel shape, to seal itself to the tunnel periphery, and to contain air blast, fly rock, and gaseous explosion products. In addition, the shield, which was lined on the inby side with rubber belting, reduced the blast noise level outby the shield to 113 dBA or less, which is very near permissible levels. The test results show conclusively that the shield concept is viable. Based partially on the shield tests, a blast resistant control cab was designed to be located on the equipment chassis inby the blast shield to protect operators during blasting, and to contain all the controls necessary for system operation and safety. The economics of tunnel driving using the ADBS were compared with those of DBM. Four rock types, which determine advance rate, and four cost categories were examined. The results of this analysis are as follows: 1. ADBS advance rate is faster because equipment remains at the face and operation procedes semi-continuously. 2. ADBS bit and explosive cost (which accounts for 4%o of the total advance cost) is higher than for DBM. 3. ADBS equipment cost, on a per foot basis, is lower than for DBM. 4. Due to a reduced labor force, ADBS labor cost is lower than for DBM. 5. Because of the overbreak reduction due to controlled blasting, ADBS tunnel support cost is lower than for DBM. 6. On a per foot basis, total ADBS advance cost is from 17% to 20% lower than for DBM, depending on tunnel diameter and rock type. The small charge method greatly reduces ground vibration, increases personnel safety by limiting excessive fracture, and decreases tunnel support requirements by reducing overbreak. The overall analysis, tests, and results to date show that the Automated Drill and Blast System may be developed into a viable tunnel excavation method. The method also may be adapted to use in the mining of ore. For some types of mining operations, the cyclic nature of conventional drill and blast methods may not be a disadvantage, either where the drilling and mucking may proceed simultaneously or where the operations are carried out in adjacent working faces. The proposed method would find application where continuous methods of excavation are desirable.

Jan 1, 1979

By Don M. Coulter

"INTRODUCTION The Margerum bauxite district, in Colbert County, Ala. was investigated in December 1940 and in February 1943 by R. W. Smith of the Bureau of Mines .3/ A geologist of the Federal Geological Survey investigated and mapped the district in the fall of 1942.These preliminary investigations indicated bauxite showings over an area about a mile long by 2,000 feet wide. It was felt that the chances were good for finding one or more large deposits of low- to medium-grade bauxite. The location - within 35 miles of the alumina plant of the Reynolds Metals Co. atLister Hill, Ala. – made it especially attractive. A field office was established in Iuka, Miss., on May 19, 190,, and mineral agreements were executed with four landowners covering 1,146.6 cores.The drilling on the project was done under contract. The power drilling was supplemented by a labor crew that drilled hand-auger holes, where there was little or no gravel overburden, and sampled the old test pits.The Federal Geological Survey, after thorough study of the district, recommended 54 drill holes 4/ to delimit the known deposits and to search for possible extensions. After the drilling started, many of these locations eliminated, and others were changed upon the basis of information gathered from the holes as they were drilled."

Mar 1, 1948

By Albert L. Toenges

The development of Alaska depends on the existence of an adequate fuel supply in the Territory. The need to investigate coal deposits was recognized as early as 1911, when the first investigations were conducted in Alaska by engineers of the Bureau of Mines. Conditions existing in the Bering River and Matanuska coal fields, as found by Dr. Robert A. Holmes, former Director of the Bureau of Mines, are described by the Honorable W. L. Fisher, former Secretary of the Interior./ Following Dr. Holmes' investigation, a party of Bureau of Mines engi¬neers headed by R. Y. Williams visited the Bering River field in 1912 in cooperation with the Navy Department. A detailed examination was made of the Bering River field, and 855 tons of coal were mined from three prospects on Trout Creek. This bulk sample was delivered to the Navy for steaming and other tests. A description of the work of the field party and results of tests of the coal by the Navy Department and the Bureau of Mines has been published.

Jan 1, 1949

By Kim B. Shedd

The U.S. Bureau of Mines Particulate Mineralogy Unit examined the habits of six zeolite minerals commonly occurring in domestic zeolite deposits. Mineral habit is of interest because current theory on the potential for sarcoma production in test animals emphasizes the size and shape of mineral particles, without regard to composition or structure. A scanning electron microscopic study revealed that, of these six minerals, only mordenite and erionite crystallized in acicular to fibrous habits, The fibrous varieties of these two minerals were characterized by size and shape on the transmission electron microscope, and their dimensions were compared with those of asbestos and amphibole cleavage fragments. When comminuted, these two minerals possess "fibrosity indices" similar to those of amphibole cleavage fragments. One sample, a rare woolly erionite, has uniform widths, large aspect ratios, and a "fibrosity index" similar to those of asbestos.

Jan 1, 1982