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By C. P. Haller, S. J. Aresco, R. F. Abernethy

The Bureau of Mines has been active in promoting the purchase of coal for Government use under specifications that define the requirements in terms of heating value of the coal, expressed in British thermal units, and the composition as shown by proximate analyses. To these, when required, are added the ash- softening temperature of ash, the free-swelling index, and the hardgrove grind- ability index. Under most of these specification contracts the bidders guarantee the quality of the coal, and that guaranteed by the successful bidder becomes the standard of his contract. The deliveries are sampled in accordance with instruc- tions issued by the Bureau of Mines; the samples are analyzed in the Bureau laboratory to determine whether the coal is of the quality guaranteed by the con- tractor and, if it is not, a price adjustment is made. Analyses of the delivered coal and tipple samples (samples collected at mine tipples as coal is being loaded into railroad cars or trucks) provide valuable data for use in evaluating future bids. In addition, the continuous sampling of coal as delivered is a check on the practical results obtained in burning the coal. The Government purchased approximately 5-1/4 million tons of coal in fiscal year 1953. In connection with these purchases, the Bureau analyzed 11,435 samples. These are published for the use of Government officials and the public. A series of publications has been completed on coal analyses by States, or, where production is small in any one State, by groups of adjacent States. In addition to analytical data showing composition and quality of coals of the States, the publications con- tain brief descriptions of the geological structure of the coal basins, typical mining conditions in the various districts, the principal economic data of the industry, and the relationship of mine or channel samples to delivered and tipple samples. The present publication covers many States but deals only with the analytical data of the coals. Previous publications in this series are: Bulletin 516, Analyses of Tipple and Delivered Samples of Coal (Collected During the Fiscal Years 1948 to 1950 Inclusive); Report of Investigations 4934, Analyses of Tipple and Delivered Samples of Coal (Collected During the Fiscal Year 1951); Report of In- vestigations 4972, Analyses of Tipple and Delivered Samples of Coal (Collected During the Fiscal Year 1952). Following are the Bureau of Mines technical papers published by States, with their numbers: Alabama, 347; Alaska, 682; Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon, 696; Arkansas, 416; Colorado, 574; Illinois, 641; Indiana, 417; Iowa, 269 and 706; Kansas, 455; Kentucky, 308 and 652; Maryland, 465; Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Texas, 700; Missouri, 366; Montana, 529; New Mexico, 569; Ohio 344 (and Bulletin 499); Oklahoma, 411; Pennsylvania Bituminous, 590 (Supplement 645); Pennsylvania Anthracite, 659; Tennessee, 356 and 671; Utah, 345; Virginia, 365 and 656; Washington, 491 (Supplement 618); West Virginia, 405 and 626; and Wyoming, 484.

Jan 1, 1955

By John C. Machisak

INJURY and employment figures for nonmetal mines and mills in 1959 are presented in this publication. Data for nomnetal mines are presented separately from those for nonmetal mills. The Bureau of Mines is authorized to send questionnaires to the nonmetal mining industry each year requesting their voluntary submission of injury experience and employment data. The voluntary response to these requests has contributed greatly toward the promotion of safety in the industry, and every effort has been made to make the information as complete as possible.

Jan 1, 1963

By Floyd G. Anderson

A study was made of the effectiveness of dust-control methods being employed in connection with continuous-mining operations. Airborne dust exposures of workmen and dust loadings of return air were determined for six types of continuous-mining machines. The conditions required for control of dust exposure are summarized and include ventilation of the working face by an exhaust system. Return-air dust loadings ranging up to 13 pounds per hour are reported.

Jan 1, 1963

By Charles E. Whieldon

Data on the oil fields in Mahoning Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, and Harrison Counties, Ohio, were collected from scattered sources and com- piled to make the information readily available to operators who may be interested in conducting secondary-recovery operations in the area. General geology, oil production, oil-productive acreage, core data, reservoir calculations by townships, and miscellaneous data and reference material are presented.

Jan 1, 1965

By Robert L. Lagace

This final report documents the work done by Arthur D. Little, Inc. (ADL) on behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center (PMSRC), on Contract H0122026 (which began in August of 1971). Under this contract ADL provided technical assistance to the Bureau on a task basis on virtually all aspects of the Bureau's programs related to present and planned emergency and operational communications and miner location systems for underground coal mines. The work consisted of independent investigations, analyses, experiments, breadboard and prototype hardware development, workshops and technology transfer seminars on mine communications, and on-going evaluations and guidance related to the Bureau's contracted programs on electromagnetic noise, mine communications systems, and trapped miner location. This final report documents the work in two volumes, Volume I, "Emergency and Operational Mine Commun¬ications," and Volume II, "Seismic Detection and Location of Isolated Miners." The Tables of Contents of both Volumes are included in each Volume.

Jan 1, 1974

By Jeffrey P. Schubert

The study site in northeastern Illinois underwent surface mining for coal in 1943 and was reclaimed by the state of Illinois in 1972-1973. Additional soil amendments and seed were applied to the spoil surface in 1975-1980. Previous studies in 1975-1978 had shown that the surface spoil materials and five final-cut lakes at the site were quite acidic and the lakes contained high concentrations of sulfate and dissolved metals. Surface runoff water from monitoring plots in 1976 were only moderately acidic and the mean concentrations of most dissolved metals and sulfate in the runoff waters were less than 25% of the concentrations found in Lake B. By 1980, vegetation had become well established over most of the mined area. However, the five final-cut lakes (Lakes A-E) remained acidic. The purpose of the study reported here was to determine the physical and geochemical subsurface conditions of the spoil materials, the hydrologic flow system within the spoils, and the magnitude of acidic spoil leachate migration into the lakes and into the wetland prairie north of the mine site. Lakes A, B, C, and E were still very acidic in 1980-1981 (pH range: 2.9-3.4; aridity range: 110-860 mg/L as CaCO3). Lake B had the worst water quality, with mean concentrations of dissolved aluminum, iron, manganese, and sulfate of 75, 25, 37, and 3340 mg/L, respectively. Shallow groundwaters in spoil materials around Lake B had a lower pH and about two to four times greater concentrations of aridity, aluminum, manganese, zinc, and other metals and nearly 20 times greater dissolved iron than the water in Lake B. The shallow groundwaters in undisturbed soils and bedrock 10-30 m north of the mine site spoils generally were alkaline, but did contain occasional moderately high sulfate and metal concentrations. Pumping tests and recovery tests conducted in piezometers showed hydraulic conductivities of spoil materials ranging from less than 10- to 10-5 m/s; hydraulic conductivities of natural soils and bedrock were measured between 10-10 to 10-7 m/s. Water levels in spoil materials increased rapidly in response to rainstorm events and the recession curves were relatively quick to decline, lasting only two or three days. Quick infiltration of rainfall into the spoil surface and percolation down to the water table caused a rise in groundwater levels and movement of spoil groundwater into the lakes. This groundwater component in the lake water budgets could account for most of the water quality problems occurring in the acid lakes.

Jan 1, 1984

By B. J. Moore

This Bureau of Mines publication estimates that U.S. helium resources as of January 1977 were 710 billion cubic feet. These resources are broken down into four classifications, as follows: Helium in measured natural gas resources and in storage, 201 billion cubic feet; helium in indicated natural gas resources, 150 billion cubic feet; helium in hypothetical natural gas resources, 175 billion cubic feet; and helium in speculative natural gas resources, 184 billion cubic feet.2 Most of the helium in natural gas is presently dissipated as natural gas is consumed as fuel and for other purposes. Helium resources of the United States may also be divided into three other categories: (1) Depleting and undiscovered natural gas resources, 589 billion cubic feet; (2) nondepleting natural gas, 83 billion cubic feet; and (3) storage, 38 billion cubic feet, of which 37 billion cubic feet is federally owned and 1 billion cubic feet is privately owned. The United States does not have any significant leasehold rights in the depleting fuel gas resources. However, through the Department of the Interior, it does have leasehold rights to about 70 percent of the helium found in nondepleting natural gas, and it owns over 90 percent of the helium in storage.

Jan 1, 1979

By C. Melvin Lepper

The Bureau of Mines has developed an improved earth resistivity field system which employs a novel technique for obtaining null measurements. The instrument is designed to operate reliably in high-noise environments such as those found in the vicinity of operating mines. The system consists of a low-frequency transmitter, a sensitive receiver and an external battery pack, each in its own case to provide protection from the elements. The receiver and transmitter units have self-contained recharge-able batteries to supply power to the circuitry and separate built-in battery chargers that operate on standard 115 Vac power. The system is portable and simple to operate. Measurement accuracy, reliability, and dynamic range are superior to most commercially available equipment even though less time and effort is required to make null readings. Unlike some commercial systems, long integration times are not required to enhance signal-to-noise ratio in areas of high background noise.

Jan 1, 1974

By N. A. Pace

This is one of a series of papers being published by the Federal Bureau of Mines for the dissemination of information on methods and practices used in the mining and preparation of crushed stone for market requirements. Performance in terms of units of work or tons produced per machine and per operator man-hour are given whenever that information is available. Direct operating costs are useful for comparing different methods, and are, therefore, included if possible. In addition to the factual description of equipment and methods used, it is desirable to discuss the engineering reasons for the choices that have been made. This paper is particularly concerned with the opertions at the Columbia plant of Palmetto Quarries Co. of Columbia, S.C. The plant is about one-half mile east of the Congaree River and adjacent to the southwest corner of the city of Columbia. Rail access is by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and by a spur strack of the Seaboard Airline Railroad.

Jan 1, 1962

By W. O. Vanderburg

The leasing or tribute system has been an important factor in the development of our metal-mining industry, particularly in the gold and silver mines of the Western States. It has received its widest application in. the early history of many camps and in the last stages of many mines. The system is especially adapted to mining where the ore's occur in narrow veins or are erratically distributed in small bunches or pockets so that selective mining, hand sorting, screening, or hand cobbing is required to produce shipping or milling-grade ore. The leasing system is also applicable to the development of prospects where the owners are unable or unwilling to assume the risks of searching for ore. The virtue of the system lies in the opportunity it affords miners with little capital to get started; at the same time, it rives owners an opportunity to have their property developed at small cost.

Jan 1, 1934

By Michael J. Jorgensen, Anoop Polsani, Khurram S. Khan

Riveting operations in aircraft manufacturing involves the use of power tools for manually drilling holes for the rivets, power drills for the setting of the holes for the rivets, as well as rivet guns to drive and set the rivets. To close the rivet, the rivet is driven against a metallic bar commonly called a “bucking bar”. The bucking bars are typically held firmly to increase the quality of the riveting, as well as keep the bucking bar from “dancing” against the metal piece being riveted. Thus, employees in aircraft manufacturing involved in riveting are exposed to hand-arm vibration from several sources, and epidemiological evidence suggests that vibration-related musculoskeletal disorders are associated with long term exposure to riveting tasks in the aircraft manufacturing of aircraft.1,2 Recently, tungsten technology has been introduced into aircraft manufacturing for bucking bars, which are heavier than traditional steel bucking bars of the same size. Rivet guns with tungsten pistons instead of steel pistons have also recently been introduced with the objective of reducing vibration exposure to the riveter. The objective of this study was to assess vibration characteristics of steel and tungsten bucking bars and rivet guns to identify the combination that simultaneously reduced the combined exposure to both the “riveter” and “bucker”. Methods Vibration (10g tri-axial accelerometer, Biometrics S2-10G-MF Series 2) was measured from eight experienced employees using seven different rivet guns on size 6 rivets, with the same person bucking for all subjects. Vibration was also measured on two different bucking bars for these same eight subjects, with the same person driving the rivets using the various rivet guns. The rivet guns consisted of three E4 steel piston guns with different RPMs (Guns A-E4, B-E4, C-E4), an E4 vibration dampened rivet gun (Gun D-E4D), an E3 steel piston rivet gun (Gun E-E3) and an E3 and E4 tungsten piston rivet guns (Guns F-E3T and G-E4T). The bucking bars were made of 90% tungsten (1694g) and cold-rolled steel (843g), and were the same shape and size. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance was performed on the vibration (mean frequency weighted resultant acceleration) on both the rivet gun side and the bucking bar side, and mean rankings were used to assess the vibration simultaneously for the rivet gun and bucking bars to investigate which combinations provided the lowest vibration exposure. Results Frequency weighted resultant acceleration was significantly lower on the E3 tungsten (F-E3T) rivet gun than the E4 steel piston (B-E4) and the E4 tungsten piston (G-E4T) rivet guns (Figure 1). When measuring vibration on the bucking bar, the E4 (A-E4) steel piston rivet gun resulted in lower vibration on the bucking bars than the E4 tungsten piston (G-E4T) and E4 vibration dampened (D-E4D) rivet guns (Figure 2). Additionally, use of tungsten bucking bars resulted in a 35% decrease in resultant frequency weighted acceleration than when using steel bucking bars.

Jan 6, 2006

By J. R. Thoenen

In the summer of 1937 the authors began a series of time studies of the various processes employed in' the production of crushed stone. These studies, made at quarries situated in the eastern and southeastern parts of the United States, have not been completed, but to make results available to the industry as early as possible, it was decided to publish summaries of the studies made to January 1, 1939, as a series of progress reports. The first of these dealt with power-shovel loading and was issued as Report of Investigations 3461 in September 1939. The second, issued in September 1939 as Report of Investigations 3467, dealt with quarry haulage. The present report discusses analyses of time studies of primary drilling at the same group of quarries. OBJECT Or STUDY Pressure of business problems frequently requires the entire attention of quarry management, and in consequence internal plant economies often are neglected. Also, operating officials absorbed in their local problems are prone to overlook possible economies that would attract attention immediately were they critically examining another plant. The authors felt that technical studies at a number of plants, made by impartial engineers, might disclose opportunities to reduce costs or improve efficiency in internal plant processes.

Jan 1, 1940

By Frank M. Vodoklys

This is the final report on Contract H0220049 covering the period from 27 April 1972 to 30 April 1974. The objective of the contract was to develop and evaluate materials and methods to achieve post explosion identification of explosives reliably and economically through the use of phosphor coded grains incorporated into the explosive during its manufacture. A coding system of two spotting phosphors and seven coding phosphors was successfully developed during the execution of the contract. The ability of the coded grains to survive detonation in many different types of explosives was demonstrated and the complete code was extracted from a single 100 micron post-explosion fragment. A method was established for testing grain strength to correlate with field test results and an optical system was designed for extracting the code from the grains. Also in fulfillment of the contract requirements a laboratory method for manufacturing the coded grains was established and ten one-pound samples, each with a different code, were fabricated. Finally, a method was developed for applying a coating of polyethylene to the grains to prevent sensitization of the tagged explosives and the ten one-pound samples were coated and delivered to the Bureau of Mines.

Jan 1, 1974

By G. W. Jones

"INTRODUCTION As part of its work in promoting safety, the Bureau of Mines is investigating various means of eliminating or mitigating the explosion hazards of combustible gases encountered in mining and industry. Information has been obtained and a procedure developed whereby the explosibility of many complex gaseous mixtures may be calculated in a rather simple manner without the necessity of performing laborious laboratory experiments. An earlier publication 3/ described the method of determining by calculation the limits of inflammability of gaseous mixtures, including methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and oxygen. The information published in the above report permitted calculation of the limits of inflamnability of such gases as are liberated by mine fires, gases from explosives, automobile exhaust gases, gases present after mine explosions, blast-furnace gas, and other gases of similar type.Gases liberated in certain potash mines in the western part of the United States sometimes contain ethane, in addition to the gases named. An investigation was made to obtain data from which the limits of inflammability of such gaseous mixtures could be determined by calculation. 4/Similar data have been Published covering all types of natural gases containing wide ranges of concentration of nitrogen and carbon dioxide.5/"

Dec 1, 1944

By Thomas M. Barczak, David P. Conover

Longwall shields provide essential ground control in longwall mining, yet a high percentage of shields are operating at less than peak capacity and many at well below the rated support capacity due to defective hydraulic cylinders or malfunctions in other hydraulic components. Leg pressure data are currently collected on state-of-the-art longwall shields, but typically are not analyzed to evaluate shield performance. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Shield Hydraulics Inspection and Evaluation of Leg Data (SHIELD) program is a Visual Basic software system that is designed to analyze leg pressure data and identify shields that are not performing to rated specifications. The program analysis is configured to detect the following conditions: (1) loss of leg pressure, (2) imbalance in leg pressure, (3) low set pressure, (4) low yield pressure, and (5) full extension of the bottom stage. Other performance assessment measures include the percentage of the support capacity utilized (ratio of peak load to yield load), the percent of time that a shield operates at yield load, the ratio of the set load to the yield load, and the amount of support capacity that is lost due to leaking cylinders. Historical record keeping will allow the user to select a particular shield and review the performance record as developed by the program for that shield. In addition to these performance assessment measures, the software will include an animated description of shield hydraulic systems that will describe the operation and significance of each hydraulic component and the impact of component failures on the shield’s capability to provide the required roof support. A general overview of the SHIELD program is provided in the paper together with an example analysis of a 2.5-year-old Australian longwall face.

By Gary L. Stecklein

This final report delineates the findings of the test programs, simulations, and analyses performed to determine the requirements for the effective application of berms and guardrails as truck restraint systems for elevated mine roadways. Included arts criterion for effective vehicle restraint for guardrail applications and recommendations for berm applications based on scale model tests and computer simulations. Full scale haulage vehicle-berm interaction field tests were performed to correlate the results of these model tests and computer simulations. Recommendations for the construction of berms were made on the basis of tests of berm bearing strength, response of the vehicle to different berms, and predictions based on the obtained correlation

Jan 1, 1981

By G. R. Smith

Critical and strategic metals are often present in small quantities in low-grade domestic ores. When these ores are leached, the resulting solution usually contains the metals in very dilute quantities. Selective electrowinning from dilute electrolytes was investigated by the Bureau of Mines. A metal deposit containing 84 pct nickel was electrowon from the leach solution of a complex domestic ore bulk flotation concentrate originally containing approximately 2 wt-pct nickel. Key to achieving accelerated deposition rates, in the case of dilute solutions, is the rapid movement of the electrolyte through the electrowinning cell. Pure, synthetic nickel electrolytes were used to establish deposition parameters, and to optimize electrolyte velocity or mass transfer rates. Hydrodynamic and electrodeposition parameters for both the synthetic and leach electrolytes are presented and the experimental research described. Selective electrowinning appears to offer a viable alternative to physical separation methods to obtain separate metal "concentrates" from low-grade ores.

Jan 1, 1983

By John D. Bardill

This report covers magnetic surveys in the Dannemora arca , which was part of a general survey of magnetite deposits in New York started in 1943 . The objective of these surveys was to afford a basis for the selection of exploration projects .

Jan 1, 1947

By Albert L. Toenges, Theodore R. Jolley

"INTRODUCTION The construction of frame houses (fig. 1) in recent years instead of the conventional sod hut (igloo) (fig. 2) by the Eskimos in the villages along the Arctic Ocean has increased the demand for fuel in these villages. The frame houses, which are not insulated against extreme cold and are difficult to heat, are equipped with Goal stoves. The well-insulated sod huts were heated comfortably with whale-oil stoves. In some years whaling is Door, consequently there is a demand for solid fuel.The Eskimo villages usually are on the sand spits at the mouths of rivers and points of land near the best fishing and hunting grounds. These narrow necks of land usually are sand bars that are not underlain with coal, and coal must be transported to the villages. Lack of development of coal deposits in the Arctic has made it necessary to import coal from the States, generally from 'Washington, to supply these villages. This coal is imported by boat and is received once a year. Its cost is, high, and development of coal deposits in the Arctic to supply these native villages should result in a considerable saving to the Government-operated schools and hospitals as well as to the natives.Early traders attempted to establish coaling stations in the Arctic, and the Eskimos generally know where the coal deposits are situated. A. reconnaissance of a number of deposits in the Arctic was made in the summer of 1946 by engineers of the Coal Division, Fuels and Explosives Branch, Bureau of Mines, and this report describes the areas investigated and suggests plans for the development of some of these deposits."

Dec 1, 1947

By C. C. Popoff

The growth of the aluminum-smelting industry in the Pacific Northwest, resulting from national defense requirements, emphasized a need for local sources of alumina to supplement the alumina production shipped from the East. Because supplies of foreign bauxite were being interrupted and our domestic bauxite reserves were inadequate, it was necessary to expedite the investigation of other possible sources of alumina during World War II. A program of investigation of high-alumina clay deposits in the Northwest was carried out jointly by the Federal Geological Survey and the Federal Bureau of Mines. As part of this program the Cowlitz clay deposits near Castle Rock, Wash., were explored by the Bureau of Mines in 1942-43. These deposits are near railroads, tide-water, and Bonneville Power Administration lines and within 22 to 100 miles of 4 aluminum-reduction plants.

Jan 1, 1955