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By Jeffrey B. Osmint

The Bureau of Mines Information and Analysis Directorate collects worldwide data on virtually every commercially important nonfuel mineral commodity. These data form the base for tracking and assessing the health of the minerals sector of the U.S. economy. The Bureau's data collection activity was instituted by the 47th Congress in an appropriations act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stat. 329), which placed the collection of mineral statistics on an annual basis. The most recent authority for the Bureau of Mines survey activity is the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479, 96th Congress), which strengthens protection for proprietary data provided to the U.S. Department of the Interior by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or consumption.

Jan 1, 1991

By R. V. Ramani, V. T. Burgos, J. A. McClay

Introduction The Cost program was developed to provide the planning engineer with a tool to evaluate the cost implications of the technical mine design decisions. Direct costing methods are employed, where feasible, to provide greater detail and accuracy in the primary cost centers. Options have been provided in the cost computation, economic analysis, and output data subsystems to increase the flexibility of the system. Computer Program The program is written in Fortran IV for use in the IBM System 360/370 computers. i. Main - The main routine reads and stores input data from three sources, user input, Cost Data Library, and data transfer from the Master Design Simulator. Data is trans¬ferred to the appropriate subroutines, as they are called, by means of labeled common blocks. ii. Subroutine CSTCOM - is a data modification routine which computes the peripheral charges related to labor and supervisory costs. iii. Subroutine MANPWR - interrogates section data to determine the total labor and supervisory costs for each cost center. iv. Subroutine CAPCST - computes the total capital investment for each cost center, including the economic life and salvage value of each element. Capital costs are determined by user selection of quantities and models of equipment. Equipment costs are stored in the Cost Data Library for retriev-

Jan 1, 1975

By Robert H. Lambeth

The Madison RARE II study area has four prospects with identified resources. These are listed in table 1 and are described in the following text. A high potential for Sillimanite exists at the Placer Creek occurrence (fig. 1, no. 7) and potential for phosphate rack in all areas underlain by the Phosphoria Formation. Some prospects exhibit minor potential for copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold in the southern portion and very minor potential in the northern portion. Deposits in the northern end also have low potential for rare earth, asbestiform anthophyllite, or kyanite group minerals (including sillimanite).

Jan 1, 1982

By Ted C. Briggs

A removable-jacket distortion apparatus was constructed and used to measure distortion coefficients for two high-pressure vessels. The measured distortion coefficients were used to compute distortion coefficients for volumes VI and (V1+V2) of a 1,000-atmosphere Burnett compressibility apparatus for the temperature range 0° to 75° C. Young?s modulus for Armco 17-4 PH stainless steel, heat treated to condition H1150-M, was computed from experimentally determined distortion coefficients. A 10-to 14-percent correction to the values obtained for Young's modulus may be required because pressure vessel end effects were neglected. The distortion coefficients of the compressibility apparatus are believed to be accurate to about 1 percent.

Jan 1, 1970

By Jacqueline A. McClaskey

The U.S. Bureau of Mines Information and Analysis Directorate collects world-wide data on virtually every commercially important nonfuel mineral commodity. These data form the base for tracking and assessing the health of the minerals sector of the U.S. economy. The Bureau's data collection activity was instituted by the 47th Congress in an appropriations act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stat. 329), which placed the collection of mineral statistics on an annual basis. The most recent authority for the U.S. Bureau of Mines survey activity is the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479, 96th Congress). This act strengthens protection for proprietary data provided to the U.S. Department of the Interior by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or consumption.

Jan 1, 1992

By Jacqueline A. McClaskey

The U.S. Bureau of Mines Information and Analysis Directorate collects worldwide data on virtually every commercially important non fuel mineral commodity. These data form the base for tracking and assessing the health of the minerals sector of the U.S. economy. The Bureau's data collection activity was instituted by the 47th Congress in an appropriations act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stat. 329), which placed the collection of mineral statistics on an annual basis. The most recent authority for the U.S. Bureau of Mines survey activity is the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479, 96th Congress). This act strengthens protection for proprietary data provided to the U.S. Department of the Interior by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or consumption.

Jan 1, 1993

Mining machine cabs were built to comfortably fit 90 percent of adult American males, and have controls that allow fast natural reactions during emergencies. These cabs and controls also fit 40 percent of the adult female population in the United States. The operators are also positioned for good visibility and for protection from roofing and ribbing hazards. Two basic designs were developed, one for seam heights on the order of 4 feet I and the second for seam heights near 8 feet. The sitting position of the largest person within the sample size group (termed a "95th percentile man") determined the basic cab shapes. The size of different parts of the human body and how they work together I established other design features of the cab. Areas of visibility, limits of operator movement, comfortable seating angles, etc., were carefully identified for the largest and the smallest persons within the sample size group. Placement of controls was based on these findings. The controls are designed and placed to allow operation with minimum physical strain and fatigue. See chart on other side of sheet.

Jan 1, 1978

By Forrest T. Moyer

Injury experience in the mineral mining and processing industries during 1968 was slightly improved in the nonfatal-injury record but worse in the fatality record. The resulting frequency rate of all injuries was slightly better, whereas the injury-severity rate retrogressed appreciably from the figure for 1967. Overall operating activity, as measured by man-hours of worktime, was slightly higher in 1968. However, there were several major segments of the mineral industries in which activity was lower owing to reduced demand for mineral products and to several major work stoppages. These statistics comprise the injury and work experience of all personnel engaged in production, exploration, development, maintenance, repair, and force-account construction work, including supervisory and technical personnel, and working partners and owners at mineral-producing and mineral-processing establishments in the United States. Data concerning officeworkers are excluded except for the oil and gas industry for which such information is not separable. All injury rates and totals are calculated from data before rounding. The data for 1968 are preliminary except for the anthracite, coke, petroleum and natural gas, native asphalt, peat, and slag industries, which are final. The figures represent full coverage for all industries except oil and gas for which coverage is not complete, particularly with respect to small companies.

Jan 1, 1970

By Ruth F. Brinkley

This report is the 17th of a series originally issued annually, and more recently bienially, to acquaint the reader with the work of the Division of Explosives Technology, Federal Bureau of Mines. It differs from preceding reports in that its material is presented in two parts: Part I reviews briefly the overall activities of the Division during fiscal years 1955 and 1956;4/ part II presents in abstract form, the publications of the Division during that period. As it is not unusual for research completed in the course of one report period to be published only in the following period, the Bureau believes that the present approach will give a more accurate presentation of its work for the period considered. The Bureau hopes too, that the somewhat more concise presentation will prove convenient to the reader.5/ PART I -RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGIC ACTIVITIES The activities of the Division during fiscal years 1955 and 1956 reflected the steadily growing preoccupation with factors affecting the safety of permissible explosives and those affecting the tests used for approval of these explosives. Findings by a team of French investigators prompted a study of the influence of atmospheric moisture on the ignition of firedamp by

Jan 1, 1961

By Gloria L. Walker

The Bureau of Mines Information and Analysis Directorate collects worldwide data on virtually every commercially important nonfuel mineral commodity. These data form the base for tracking and assessing the health of the minerals sector of the U.S. economy. This data collection activity was instituted by the 47th Congress in an appropriations act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stat. 329), to place the collection of mineral statistics on an annual basis. The most recent authority for the Bureau of Mines Information and Analysis activity is the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479, 96th Congress), which strengthens protection for proprietary data provided to the U.S. Department of the Interior by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or consumption.

Jan 1, 1990

By L. C. IlsLey

Coal mining is more widely distributed throughout the United States than is generally known, as 30 States are credited with having coal mines. In 1919 twenty-three of these States each produced at least a million tons of bituminous coal, and all the States produced about 560,000,000 tons. In addition, Pennsylvania produced about 85,000,000 tons of anthracite. Twenty-eight States have regulations prepared by commissions or have enacted laws governing the operation of coal mines. Pennsyl¬vania has separate codes for the anthracite and bituminous fields. The codes may be classified as follows: Twelve distinctly coal¬mining codes; eight codes that are essentially coal mining, but also apply to other mines; five codes that are subdivided, referring partly to coal mines and partly to other mines; and four codes that are essentially metal mining, but apply in part or in whole to coal mining. The first State to have a coal-mining law was Pennsylvania, which enacted a law, for Schuylkill County only, in 1869. The first State to enact a coal-mining law governing all the coal mines in the State was Illinois in 1872, followed by Ohio in 1873. Pennsylvania in 1879 enacted a law for anthracite mines only, but did not enact similar laws for bituminous mines until 1577. At least 10 other States enacted coal-mining laws between the years 1870 and 1890. Before 1890 electricity was little used in coal-ruining operations and therefore practically no provisions governing the installation, inspection, or maintenance of electrical equipment were made in any of the laws enacted up to 1890. In the law of Colorado, approved April 8, 1885, there is a reference to the use of telephones, probably the first reference to electrical equipment of any kind in a State-mining code. Most of the mining codes have been changed from their original form by amendment or by complete revision. In some of the early changes a casual reference is made to the use of electricity or to the handling of electrical equipment. In 1911 Pennsylvania added

Jan 1, 1920

By Jacqueline A. McClaskey

The U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) Information and Analysis Directorate collects worldwide data on virtually every commercially important non fuel mineral commodity. These data form the base for tracking and assessing the health of the minerals sector of the U. S. economy. The USBM's data collection activity was instituted by the 47th Congress in an appropriations act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stat. 329), which placed the collection of mineral statistics on an annual basis. The most recent authority for the USBM survey activity is the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479, 96th Congress). This act strengthens protection for proprietary data provided to the U.S. Department of the Interior by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or consumption.

Jan 1, 1992

By Gloria L. Walker

The Bureau of Mines Information and Analysis Directorate collects worldwide data on virtually every commercially important non fuel mineral commodity. These data form the base for tracking and assessing the health of the minerals sector of the U.S. economy. This data collection activity was instituted by the 47th Congress in an appropriations act of August 7, 1882 (22 Stat. 329), to place the collection of mineral statistics on an annual basis. The most recent authority for the Bureau of Mines Information and Analysis activity is the National Materials and Minerals Policy, Research and Development Act of 1980 (Public Law 96-479, 96th Congress), which strengthens protection for proprietary data provided to the U.S. Department of the Interior by persons or firms engaged in any phase of mineral or mineral-material production or consumption.

Jan 1, 1990

By L. C. Headley

A series of exploratory tests was conducted to determine the effects of steady electric fields on fluid flow and streaming potential in narrow passages and porous media, the effects of steady electric fields on fluid interfaces, and the influence of internal voltages on fluid flow in a porous porcelain sample. Voltages greater than about 5 kilovolts were found to influence liquid droplets emanating from a capillary tube. Solutions of polyethylene oxide and polyacrylamide in water exhibited widely different behavior than that of other liquids tested. Liquid-liquid displacement tests in porous samples to determine the influence of high voltage applied to the displacing liquid on flow rates and recovery gave no significant differences. No consistently measurable effects were noted, either on flow rate or streaming potential, when an electric field was applied transverse to the direction of flow in porous media and in narrow rectangular or cylindrical channels. Experimental values of formation factor and streaming potential for a porous porcelain sample agreed qualitatively with those calculated from electrokinetic theory for ultrafine capillaries. However, the agreement for the electroviscous effect was not good.

Jan 1, 1970

By Joseph W. Town

The Bureau of Mines conducted studies related to SO2 air pollution to determine attritioning rates, SO2 sorption rates, and sulfur loads that could be obtained on commercial alkalized alumina sorbent pellets. Fluidized-bed attritioning rates ranged from 0.025 pct/hr for alkalized alumina with a crushing strength of 4 kg to 0.075 pct/hr for 0.5 kg crushing strength mate¬rial. Airlift attritioning rates ranged from 0.50 pct/hr for 3 kg crushing strength alkalized alumina to about 3 pct/hr for 0.5 kg material. Attritioning rates for the commercial alkalized alumina were comparable to those obtained for sorbent pellets prepared in the Bureau of Mines laboratory. Sorption rates were related to S02 concentration in flue gas, temperature, and presence of nitrogen oxides in the gas stream. Sorption rates at 300° C were 0.35 X 10-6 gS/gp/sec (grams sulfur per gram pellet per second) in 0.045 pct so, gas, 5.1 x 10-5 gS/gp/sec in 0.34 pct SO2 gas, and 65 X 10-5 gS/gp/sec in 10 pct SO2 gas. For the 0.34 pct S02 gas, sulfur loads of 0.10 gS/gp (the projected load for regeneration) were obtained in 47 min at 130° C and in 116 min at 300° C. The presence of either NO or NO2 in the 0.34 pet S02 gas increased the SO2 sorption rates 2 to 3 times at 300° C, but had no effect at 130° C.

Jan 1, 1969

By W. W. Adams

"Fatal accidents at coal mines throughout the United States killed 234 employees during January 1924, according to reports from State mine inspectors to the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior, Included in the number of fatalities are 68 deaths caused by two explosions during the month, one explosion occurring in a mine at Johnson City, Ill., and causing 32 deaths, and the other in a mine at Shanktown, Pa., and causing 36 deaths. The fatality rate for the month was 3.94 per million tons, based on a production of 59,435,000 tons of coals In January 1923 the fatality rate was 3.52, based on 206 deaths and an output of 58,458,000 tons.Bituminous mines in all States reported 202 fatal accidents, the production being 51,170,000 tons., and the fatality rate being 3.92, as compared with 3.28 for January last year, For the anthracite mines in Pennsylvania, the reports covered 32 fatalities, which, on the month's output of 7,955,000 tons, indicated a fatality rate of 4.02 per million tons, as against 4.89 for January 1923.As compared with January 1923, the reports for January of the present year indicated lower fatality rates per million tons for all of the main causes of accidents except explosions. For falls of roof and coal, the fatality rate per million tons declined from 1.85 in January 1923 to 1,68 in January 1924; for haulage accidents the rate declined from 0.62 to 0.42; for explosives, from 0.19 to 0.12; for electricity, from 0.12 to 0.07. The rate for explosions increased from 0.21 to 1,31 per million tons. -- Reports of Investigations, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines."

Feb 1, 1924

By H. K. Kutter

The pressure pulse generated by an underwater spark \vas investigated in relation to its potential use for rock fragmentation. The study established (1) the relation between the peak discharge current and the peak wave pressure; (2) the relationships among the peak wave pressure, the discharge voltage, and the spark gap width; (3) the type and pulse duration of the generated wave; (4) the percentage of energy transmitted in the spark as a function of spark gap width and discharge voltage; and (5) the percentage of energy converted into the pressure wave as a function of gap width and discharge voltage. Spark-generated fractures were studied in two-and three-dimensional rock and plastic specimens. The laboratory results indicated that the pressure pulse generated by an underwater spark is a potential practical tool for rock fragmentation. The paper contains an appendix describing the capacitive pressure gage specially developed for the laboratory tests.

Jan 1, 1969

By Charles Zahn

Gas chromatography is a method of separating mixtures of gases and volatile materials by entraining their vapors in a gas stream, which passes over an appropriate stationary phase. Two techniques are in common use: Gas-Liquid Chromatography, in which the stationary phase is a liquid supported on an inert solid, and Gas-Solid Chromatography, where the stationary phase is a solid adsorbent, such as charcoal or alumina. In both techniques components emerge from the column after a characteristic residence time. Gas chromatography is applicable as a qualitative or quantitative tool in a wide variety of problems in chemical research and processing. It may also be employed for purification and separation. A running bibliography on gas chromatography has been maintained at the Bureau of Mines synthetic liquid fuels laboratories, Bruceton, Pa., for several years for the benefit of research workers, who use chromatography as an analytical tool. Since the number of references grew and interest in the technique became more wide-spread, the Bureau is publishing this list rather than maintain it as a purely internal source.

Jan 1, 1958

By F. W. Lane

[The rapid expansion of the petroleum industry, the steadily growing use of oil fuel or steamships, the increasing transportation of oil in tankers and the extensive use of petroleum oils for many land industries, has resulted in pollution of our coastal eaters by these oils. On account of the great importance of this problem to the petroleum and shipping industries its, the Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the American Petroleum Institute and -he American Steamship Owners Association has undertaken to ascertain the extend of petroleum oil pollution along the coasts of the United States and to indicated the principal so arcs of such pollution. Certain typical methods and devices in use and proposed for the separation of oil from water, and for the disposal of oily castes from ships and industrial plants have been studied. An attempt has also been made to point out the nature of the fire hazard resulting from oil pollution and to indicate the effect of such pollution on bathing beaches.]

Jan 1, 1924

By C. M. McCulloch

As part of the Bureau of Mines methane control program, the Pittsburgh coalbed was studied in Washington and Green Counties, Pa., and in Marion and Monongalia Counties, W. Va., where this coalbed is now being mined at its greatest depth. The coalbed thickness appeared to be structurally controlled; the bed was generally thinner near the axes of anticlines and thicker near the axes of synclines. The overburden isopach shows a similar relationship. Most of the clay veins in coal occur in the synclinal troughs, generally under sandstone roof. Cleat orientations measured in 18 underground mines showed that face cleats are perpendicular to the axial trends of the folds, and the butt cleats are parallel to the axial trends, indicating structural control of the cleat. Measurement and analysis of surface joint orientations provide a method for predicting the cleat orientations of the coalbed, but linears measured from infrared photographs and photoindex sheets helped only to determine regional trends. The results of these investigations provide a geologic framework for rational planning for underground mine development to use the best available technology to cope with methane emissions, coalbed discontinuities, and related ground support problems.

Jan 1, 1975