Search Documents

By Harvard Eng

An industrial survey was made for the Missouri Basin Field Committee of the Department of the Interior to determine the type and quantity of water-borne mineral wastes and the water requirements of metal-processing industries in the basin in Kansas and western Missouri. Data are presented on metal-processing plants visited through June 30, 1959. Most of the plants were in the greater Kansas City area. This report is to be supplemented with a similar publication on other industries, including those producing sand and gravel, coal, petroleum, and chemicals. In 1958, 19 million pounds of waste materials was discharged from metal processing industries. Approximately 14 million pounds of this waste was in the form of ferrous sulfate, and 2 million pounds was ferric phosphate. Galvanizing, other hot dipping, and automotive industries contributed the greater part of iron compounds wasted; some of this waste occurred as sludge that was not discharged to water courses but was hauled to refuse dumps, podium was present in nearly all industrial wastes, and the total of more than 900,000 pounds constituted one of the larger material losses. Although small in quantity, electroplating and allied coating wastes contained metals that were expensive when originally purchased.

Jan 1, 1961

This chapter summarizes data on crude mineral production for the United States, its island possessions, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Included also are tables that show the principal mineral commodities exported from and imported into the United States, and that compare world and U.S. mineral production. Except for the mineral fuel commodities, the detailed data from which these tables were derived are contained in the individual commodity chapters of volume I and in the State chapters of volume II of this edition of the Minerals Yearbook. In October 1977, responsibility for the collection of data on mineral fuels-coal, petroleum, natural gas, and natural gas liquids-was transferred to the newly created Department of Energy. Although chapters covering these commodities will no longer appear in Volume I of the Minerals Yearbook, quantity and value data have been included in most of these summary tables to maintain statistical consistency in State and national value of overall crude mineral output. This shift in responsibility has also resulted in changes to the composition of the "Nonmetals? and "Mineral Fuels" groups in table 1 and table 2. The commodities-asphalt and related bitumens (natural), carbon dioxide (natural), helium, and peat-have been removed from the ?Mineral Fuels" group, and are now included under the "Nonmetals" group. There has been no change in the components of the "Metals" group.

Jan 1, 1981

By R. R. Wells, W. W. Agey

"INTRODUCTION Oxide manganese ore from the Sheep Mountain property was of intermediate grade (23.0 percent manganese) and contained silica as the major impurity. The deposit from which the ore was taken is known as the Sheep Mountain manganese property and is 8 miles west of Durkee, Oreg. Test work was done in the metallurgical laboratories of the Bureau of Mines at Salt Lake City, Utah, on representative samples cut from a 290-pound shipment of crushed ore submitted by the Oregon State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and reported to be typical of the Sheep Mountain deposit.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of R. S. Doan, former assistant director of the Bureau of Mines, under whose supervision the manganese program was initiated in 1940, and, the valuable suggestions made to them by S. R. Zimmerley, now chief, Salt Lake City Division, Metallurgical Branch. Acknowledgment also is made to H. G. Poole and C. H. Schack for their suggestions and contributions to the organization and prosecution of the work of the Ore Dressing Section. Microscopic work on the ores and many ore-dressing products was done by L. G. Evans -and the late. B. E. Head. Our appreciation is extended also to H. E. Peterson, chief chemist, and members of the analytical staff for the many analyses made of the ores and ore-dressing products."

Nov 1, 1947

By Steven W. Schmauch

In 1985, at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Mines studied 27,930 acres of the 52,000 acre East Fork High Rock Canyon Wilderness Study Area, CA-020-914/NV-020-006A, in order to evaluate the mineral resources. The study area is located in Humboldt and Washoe Counties, NV, about 45 miles east of Cedarville, CA. Bureau of Mines personnel reviewed pertinent literature and county mining records and examined prospects or mineralized areas. There are no organized mining districts and no historical or active claims in the study area; one small pit lies in the southwest corner of the study area. Based on published literature, sample results and field observations, there are no recognized mineral, geothermal, or fossil fuel resources. Epithermal mineralization indicators are not present or exposed. Sand and gravel deposits in the study area are not likely to be developed as other deposits are closer to market areas.

Jan 1, 1986

By S. P. Kinney

[The blast-furnace operator is often confronted with the problem of determining the size of the materials which are used in the furnace burden. The statement is heard that the coke is larger or smaller or that certain ore is finer than that previously used. A screen analysis of the materials used gives a measure of the different sizes of materials in an aggregate. When one is fine and the other is coarse, the difference is obvious; but when the materials are of similar sire, it is more difficult to estimate the degree of finances or coarseness. In considering raw materials it would be desirable to be able to judge the size of the radio ideal materials entering the furnace and the burden as a whole, by one representative value, such as the average size of particle. Previous work by Perrott and Kinney3 developed a method for measuring the average size of particle in a mass of finely ground materials, and an attempt will be made to apply this method to the materials included in the blast-furnace charge and to the entire burden.]

Jan 1, 1930

By N. S. Dalal, X. Shi

"With a view of elucidating the role of glutathione (GSH) in the biochemical pathways of the chromate-exposure related carcinogenesis, we carried out electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic investigations of the chromate-GSH redox reactions. The ESR measurements, employing spin-traps, provide evidence for the involvement of the glutathione (GS•) radical, as well as an isolable Cr(V)-glutathione intermediate. These results indicater a new mechanism for the reduction of chromate by GSH in cellular environment and help understand the (unexpected increase in Cr(VI)-induced DNA strand breaks at elevated GSH levels.We report here indirect electron spin resonance (EGR evidence for the involvement of the glutathionyl (GS) radical and direct evidence for a Cr(V) intermediate in the reactions of glutathione ¬(GSH) with chromate for the first time.. This work was undertaken to clarify the biochemical pathway of the reduction of chromate by GSH, since this reduction process is thought to be a critical step in the pathogenesis of the chromate-exposure related carcinogenesis. This follows from the literature reports which show that (a) Cr(VI)compounds have been proven to be carcinogens in laboratory animals as well as in human studies2-4, (b) Cr(VI) and not Cr(III) compounds are mutagenic 5-7, (c) Cr(VI) and not Cr(III) compounds can penetrate cell membranes 8.9 (d) the final state of Cr(VI) in cellular reductions is Cr(III)', (e) by itself chromate (or Cr(VI)) cannot be directly mutagenic since Cr(VI) is known not to interact with isolated DNA under physiological conditions 10, suggesting the significance of Cr(VI).reduction processes. One of the major reductants in cellular environments is thought to be the GSH, both outside and inside the ce11s 11-13. Other evidence for the role of GSH in the chromate toxicity is seen from recent studies showing that exposure of hamster cells to non-toxic levels of added selenite increases the levels' of GSH as well as the Cr(VI)-induced DNA strand beaks 14, and thatsuch DNA strand breaks in hepatocytes also change in direct proportion to their GSH content 15,16. These observations wereinterpreted as implying that the reduction of chromate by GSH, to some reactive intermediate is an important step in the chromatecarcinogenicity 15,16. The following reaction steps were,suggested 15, 16"

Jan 1, 1988

By Robert F. Chaiken

More than 500 fires are now burning in abandoned coal waste banks and coal deposits in the United States. Once established, such fires can burn for decades, and extinguishing them by conventional methods such as surface sealing to exclude air, excavation to remove fuel, or flushing to cool the fire zone is usually difficult and always expensive. Burnout Control, a technique developed by the Bureau of Mines for the control of abandoned coal fires, involves the accelerated combustion of coal in place with total management of the heat and fumes produced. A burning waste bank or mine is placed under negative pressure relative to the atmosphere, and heat and combustion products are drawn from the combustion zone through an exhaust ventilation system. Heat produced appears as sensible heat in the exhaust, at temperatures as high as 1,000° C (1,832° F), and could be recovered for the production of steam, hot water, process heat, or electricity. The Bureau's first field demonstration of Burnout Control was at Calamity Hollow in Allegheny County, PA (near Pittsburgh). Calamity Hollow was the site of an underground mine in the. 1900's and was surface mined in the 1940's. In the winter of 1961~62, a fire of undetermined origin was discovered in the exposed coal. In 1963, the Bureau constructed a trench barrier around the fire and a surface seal over the affected area. The fire was isolated but, not completely extinguished. In 1979, when the Bureau began work on the Calamity Hollow Mine Fire Project to demonstrate controlled burnout, the fire was still smoldering on the hot side of the trench barrier. The project, which was begun in December 1979 and ended in July 1982, consisted of the design, construction, operation, and subsequent dismantling of a Burnout Control ventilation system. This report, although considered part 2, is actually the last of a five-part series that describes the Calamity Hollow Mine Fire Project. It was written last because it involved the analysis of a substantial body of data describing in detail the results of a continuous 4-month burnout operation. The first report, part 1, describes the design and construction of the field installation. Part 3 describes the instrumentation used to control and monitor the progress of the burnout operation. Parts 4 and 5 deal with the closeout phase of the field demonstration. Part 4 describes the procedure used to quench the fire, and part 5 describes the final excavation and backfilling of the heated zones. The reports in this series document the Calamity Hollow controlled burnout demonstration, which showed that (1) controlled in situ combustion is a feasible method for controlling underground fires in abandoned mines, (2) the resultant thermal exhaust output is suffIcient for energy utilization, and (3) water injection-fume exhaustion is a potentially effective method for cooling large underground fire zones. Further investigations of both Burnout Control and the water injection-fume exhaustion quenching procedure are planned.

Jan 1, 1989

1. In 2003, a total of 4,357 stone mining operations reported employment to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The major industrial classifications in stone mining are dimension stone (used for construction purposes), crushed and broken stone (aggregates), cement, and lime. • Stone mines comprised 30.3% of all mining operations. • Mines producing crushed and broken stone (n = 3,412) comprised 78.3% of all stone mining operations.

Feb 1, 2005

By F. E. Cash

The Holmes Safety Association , organized and named in honor of the late Dr. Joseph A. Holmes , first director of the United States Bureau of Mines , has for its object the prevention cf accidents , the improvement of health conditions at work, in the home , and in public places , and the promotion of the general welfare of its members . As a means of preventing accidents and advancing health and safety , the Holmes Safety Association disseminates information , gives instructions on subjects related to safety , and promotes first -aid and other forms of protective and accident - prevention training . This organization is intended to work and cooperate in the closest possible way with existing mine or plant safety organizations in conducting educational , social , and recreational activities for the promotion of health , safety , and efficiency .

Jan 1, 1929

By Joseph W. Martin

The Bureau of Mines investigated the backscattering of low-energy gamma rays as a method for rapidly determining the incombustible content of coal mine dust. In this method, 60-kev gamma rays from americium-24l penetrate the dust and are reflected by elements in the dust to a thin crystal scintillation detector. The number of backscattered gamma rays is proportional to the incombustible content. Tests of 40 dry, mine-dust samples containing 50 to 100 percent inert material show an average error of 2 percent. Calibration of the apparatus is necessary for each rock dust to account for variable composition. Results for samples containing more than 6 percent moisture are subject to error, but the values are lower than values obtained by chemical analysis, and thus fall on the safe side. Development of a small portable meter based on the backscatter principle appears feasible. Such a meter would find application within coal mines to check the effectiveness of rock dusting procedures.

Jan 1, 1968

By J. A. McAllister, H. G. Iverson, K. C. Dean

"INTRODUCTION During the course of the investigation of the occurrence of manganese deposits in the western United States, laboratory studies of concentration were conducted at the Salt Lake City station on a sample of ore from the Lake Valley mines of the Newalpitt Fluorspar Corp. of Deming, N. Mex. The ore was reported to be representative of the type that would be mined for mill feed. The sample tested was found to be amenable to beneficiation by ore-dressing methods for the production of products that, when sintered, assayed over 44 percent Mn.At the beginning of the investigation of manganese-ore beneficiation in December 1940, the only product marketable to Metals Reserve Company was ferrograde manganese grade B, the requirements for which follow: Mn, min., 48 percent; Fe, max., 7 percent; Si02, max., 10 percent; P, max., 0.18 percent; Al203, max., 6 percent; Zn, max., 1 percent, Al2O3,Later the specifications were modified gradually. As of May 15, 1943, manganese products were acceptable if they contained over 35 percent manganese and less than 3 percent zinc and 1 percent phosphorus. Prices were based upon material containing 48 percent manganese, 6.0 percent iron, and 11 percent silica plus alumina. Premiums were paid for manganese content in excess of 48 percent and iron content below 6 percent, penalties being imposed upon products containing less than 43 percent -manganese, or more than 6 percent iron, or more than 11 percent silica plus alumina. The specifications for commercial manganese further required that maximum particle size be 12 inches and that, 75 percent of the product be coarser than 20-mesh. Therefore, fine material such as table and flotation concentrates had to be nodulized or sintered. In addition, oarbcnate manganese ores were not acceptable unless calcined."

Feb 1, 1948

By R. E. Head

"The microscopic work described below was engaged in primarily into ascertain the approximate proportions in which the copper sulphides existed in the ore examined, and by a comparison of the results obtained from a study of both head are tailing samples to supply data which might be of value in treating the ore by flotation. Incidentally, the physical characteristics and association of the sulphides were noted in order to determine the possible relation or bearing of these features on the present conditions of treatment. Since the copper in the ore occurred as three distinct sulphide minerals - chalcopyrite, chalcocite, and bornite each containing copper in different proportions, there appeared to be little or no possibility of obtaining the desired information by chemical methods of determination.Type of material examinedThe material examined was in the crushed condition and was said to be representative of the flotation feed or heads and the resulting tailing. No hand samples of the ore were examined nor any account taken of the physical condition and association of the minerals in place, because the possible value of the analytical results depended on conditions as they existed in the crushed ore. As the problems under consideration dealt only with the sulphide minerals, especially those of copper, the products from screen sizing were concentrated by hand panning and the gangue discarded. The concentrate obtained consisted almost entirely of the sulphide minerals, since the panning had been very carefully done. The object of this procedure was to obtain a sufficient quantity of high-grade sulphide material, from the sample of each screen size selected for examination, to permit its being so prepared for examination as to be representative of the physical characteristics exhibited by a large number of sulphide grains from each respective size, In the tests and investigations carried on by the company' treating the ore the following sizes had been used in tabulating data and basing conclusions:+48, +65, +100, +150, +200, and -200. These same sizes were used in the microscopic investigation, since the results obtained thereby could be most readily utilized for comparison with the results obtained in previous experimental work, together with deductions based on actual concentration of the ore on a commercial scale."

Jun 1, 1921

By W. R. Reed

Drilling with water has the potential to significantly reduce the respirable dust concentrations generated from small-diameter rotary drills when drilling blastholes on surface mining operations. However, water adverseky affects tri- cone drill bits commonly used in surface drilling operations, causing excessive wear and premature replacement. Consequently, dry drilling with a dust collector system has the most widespread use in the industry. Tests have been conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NOSH), Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) on a newly designed device for smaller diameter drills that separates the water from the bailing air before it reaches the bit and thus provides the cost benefit of dry drilling while providing the benefit of wet drilling for dust suppression. The water that is delivered to the hole with the bailing air is separated from the air by a proprietary mechanical device that is encased in a drill sub (short section of drill rod/pipe) located immediately behind the cutting bit. A cascade cyclone and a real-time dust monitor were used to sample dust emissions from the holes. Dust concentrations and silica content were measured when drilling dry versus drilling wet. The tests show that drilling with this water separating sub can reduce both measured dust emissions from the boreholes and visible dust around the drill rig.

By W. H. Ode

Low-temperature distillation tests at 200°, 350°, and 500° C. were made on a subbituminous coal from Boulder County, Colo., and a subbituminous coal from Weld County, Colo., in connection with a survey of carbonizing properties of American coals and investigations of their chemical and physical properties. The coal represented by the sample from Weld County was reported to give off combustible volatile matter at unusually low temperatures When placed on a fuel bed. The yields of tar and oil and the composition of the gas from this coal, as obtained in the distillation tests, did not confirm this report. These yields and the gas composition of the Weld. County coal differed but little from those obtained from the coal from Boulder County. Both coals yielded tar and gas in amounts considered to be normal for coals of their rank.

Jan 1, 1937

By R. M. Ray

The Bureau of Mines evaluated five commercial badge-type carbon monoxide dosimeters. Color changes in the badge reagent indicated the presence of carbon, monoxide. Possible effects of ambient conditions on dosimeter response to CO during or after coal mine fires or explosions were studied. Temperature and humidity changes did not change dosimeter sensitivity to CO. Contaminant gases such as CO2, N02, S02, and H2S had effects that varied with brands of dosimeters ranging from no effect to increased sensitivity to CO. Dosimeters tested after 6 months of storage showed an increase in failure rate as high as 25 percent. Tests were conducted to determine the effects on dosimeter time-for-color change caused by observer's sight (colorblind); lighting, and coal dust on dosimeters. No significant effects were observed. Observer variance was the most pronounced factor observed in all tests.

Jan 1, 1975

By Frank E. Cash

Since ventilation adequate in quantity as well as quality is of paramount importance to the health and safety of men working underground in coal mines, mining officials, employees, and State inspection departments should give it the closest possible attention. MINING LAW OF ALABAMA The law governing, and regulating the operation of coal mines in Alabama was enacted in 1911 and amended or revised in 1923, 1925, 1930, and 1935. The original law and subsequent revisions were progressive steps in safeguarding the health and safety of underground employees.

Jan 1, 1939

By R. D. Ladoo

"At the beginning of 1920 a general feeling of optimism was noted in many talc-producing districts. The industry seems to have recovered from the temporary depression of the first half of 1919 and many mills are running at capacity production with their entire output for 1920 contracted for. The imports of talc for 1919 were only slightly larger than in 1918 by weight and probably no more by value. Thus foreign competition has not begun to be seriously felt. Several new companies in this country have been organized, some to operate new deposits and others to continue the work done by others.An interesting phase of the present situation is the possibility of increased use of talc in paint. There is a shortage of barium sulfate used as,paint filler. Since, for some uses, talc is considered second only to BaSo4 as a filler for paint, it is possible that part of the shortage could be relieved by an increased use of talc.A series of physical tests upon all pigment materials used in the manufacture of paints is being conducted for the Paint Manufacturers Association of the United States. It is important that all types of talc be represented in these tests. Producers of finely ground talc, 200 mesh and finer, are urged to submit samples of at least two pounds each of these grades that are available to paint makers with trade name and quality data, to the Institute of Industrial Research, 19th & B Streets, Washington, D. C., where the tests are being conducted.The Talc Products Company, Inc., Washington Building, Los Angeles, California, has recently been organized to develop a large body of talc one mile north of Riggs, San Bernardino County, California, This deposit contains a compact, white talc which can be sawed into crayons. The company's mill, at Los Angeles) is equipped with a unit of the Raymond system of grinding and air separation, and pencil sawing machines. It is reported that the pencils are being successfully used in Pacific Coast ship yards.The mining of talc where no mill is owned by the operator and the consequent sale of talc in its crude massive state has not proved profitable in a number of cases recently noted. Under exceptional circumstances, where mining costs are low and the product can be sold to a mill near the mine, the operation maybe profitable, but this condition is not common. One mine of this type has recently closed down, at least temporarily; but a second, more fortunately situated, in another district, is continuing operations, although plans are being made to erect a mill in the early spring. Most satisfactory results are ordi¬narily obtained where the mine and mill are owned by the same company.The sale of the Balmat mine of the International Pulp Company, near Gouverneur, N. Y., to J. H. McLear, Gouverneur, and H. G. McLear of New York, has been reported. It is stated that a large part of the property has been already leased to the Sylvia Lake Company, who will operate it. ""Cement, Hill, and Quarry""* states that ""the first mining done on this property was for silver and lead, but it developed into a good zinc producing property and later it was worked for its talc deposits. It has passed through several hands, the American Pulp Co., the Union Talc Co., and the International Pulp Co., all having had it in successive periods since 1891."""

Jan 1, 1920

By S. Ralph Austin

This Bureau of Mines investigation determined the effects of so-called annealing at high temperatures on radon-222 emanation from domestic uranium ores. Concurrently, a method was developed for closely estimating the emanation coefficients of hot samples from measurements of their gamma activity after cooling. Emanation coefficients of 102 samples from 14 domestic areas of past, present, and possible future uranium production were investigated using modifications of the closed-can, gamma-only assay method at and after cooling from 100° to 1,000° C. True annealing probably does not occur below 500° C. In limited investigations at 500° C and above, effects of annealing are masked by the effects of other parameters. Emanation is commonly less at one or more of the steps investigated in the 100° to 500° C range than before heating. This decrease is tentatively attributed to water loss at temperatures dependent upon the minerals present. The average sample emanates least at 300° C; emanation increases with higher temperatures to at least 900° C. Emanation decreases sharply on cooling, but it is partially restored by prolonged exposure to the atmosphere at room temperature. Higher than average emanation of coffinite ores at 500° C and above may be related to destruction of the coffinite crystal structure.

Jan 1, 1979

By John C. Franklin

A radon survey was made at five different locations in the Twilight mine near Uravan, Colo., to determine chances in radon concentrations in an inactive mine. Data were taken with a continuous monitor set for 1-minute count periods and readings were taken 24 hours a day for 9 days. The 12 readings per station each hour accurately showed how t w radon concentration varied during the day. From the data collected from the intake portal to station 4, the average radon emanation rate was estimated at 18 picocuries per second per square foot (pCi/sec/ft3). A daily cycle in radon concentration was detected that apparently was related to barometric pressure change.

Jan 1, 1976

By D. R. Dolinar, J. Pablic, D. C. Oyler, T. P. Mucho

At a mine in central PA, high horizontal stresses have caused long running roof falls resulting in hazardous conditions for the miners and the premature abandonment of panels. Because of these conditions, the mine requested assistance of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in utilizing the 'advance and relieve method to mitigate the affects of horizontal stress on the mine roof. "Advance and relieve" mining involves the removal of a pillar or a portion of a pillar during development, thereby creating a cave along one side of the panel. Following cave development, the horizontal stress is relieved over the workings adjacent to the cave in the active panel. The mine has used this system in three panels with a significant reduction in stress damage and no large roof falls.