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By Albert W. Deurbrouck

This Bureau of Mines report describes the washability characteristics of 13 coalbed samples collected in Colorado. Such data are needed to evaluate the quality of the coals of the West, where most of our low-sulfur-content coal reserves are found. Of the 13 samples included in this report, 11 had a total sulfur content of 1 percent or less. All of the samples contained low percentages of ash or could be readily washed to a desirable ash level with minimal loss of yield. The coals ranged in rank from high-volatile A bituminous to subbituminous B; nine of the samples were high-volatile C bituminous. The coalbeds ranged in thickness from 6 to 26 feet; the average was about 8 feet.

Jan 1, 1970

By David J. Kusler

This Bureau of Mines study is an appraisal of the demand for platinum, should this strategic metal be used as a. catalyst in the National abatement of automobile exhaust pollution. The Clean Air Act 0f 1970, as amended, requires that automobiles produced in 1975 and thereafter be provided with antipollutive measures to control automotive exhaust emissions. The study considers the need for automobile pollution control, the methodology for such control, the annual primary (new) platinum demand for automobiles produced from 1975 to 1990, primary platinum availability, and supply-demand forecasts and outlook. The correlative demand for platinum for the production of the required unleaded gasoline is also considered. Methodology for the study included a forecast of new automobile production from 1975 to 1990, development of automobile survival and retirement data, estimates of new platinum demand under various conditions of salvage, and data on recycling the precious metal from the catalytic converters of scrapped vehicles and existing vehicles when their spent converters are exchanged for replacement units. The new platinum demand for automobile exhaust converters, based on a converter service life of 50,000 miles, is estimated to be 1.41 million troy ounces initially in 1975, rising to 1.68 million in 1980, and declining curvi-linearly to 0.94 million in 1990. The platinum demand for converter longevities other than 50,000 miles can be derived from the tabular data presented. An appendix to the report presents a comparison between longevities of 50,000 miles and 25,000 miles. The petroleum industry's demand for new platinum for the production of lead-free gasolines could total as high as 1 million troy ounces between 1972 and 1981, just for expansion of isomerization and reforming capacity, and is in addition to normal operating demand for this metal.

Jan 1, 1972

By Jeffrey H. Welsh

This report presents a study on the use of computerized, continuous remote monitoring systems for fire and explosive atmosphere safety in underground coal mines. The effects of these systems on the safety level in mines are investigated, and the relationship between mine safety regulations and computerized, continuous, remote monitoring is analyzed.

Jan 1, 1982

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 T. A. Henrie, E. K. Kleespies

Carbon reduction of rutile and ilmenite in nitrogen and ammonia atmospheres was studied as a method of preparing titanium nitride . Ammonia was a better nitriding agent than nitrogen . The contact between the solid reactants , carbon and rutile , was a prime factor in nitrogen atmospheres and was of lesser import in dissociated ammonia . The reduction process for conversion of rutile to the nitride required carbon . The nitriding of ilmenite- carbon mixtures produced titanium nitride and elemental iron .

Jan 1, 1964

By C. B. Manula

This report is volume 5 of an eleven-volume final report for a Grant completed by The Pennsylvania State University for the Bureau of Mines to develop a dynamic general purpose computer simulation model for underground coal mining. The simulator developed under the Grant has a wide range of possible applications in the design and evaluation of underground coal mining systems from the standpoints of health and safety, productivity, and mine environment. The Master Design Simulator consists of nine free-standing function-oriented subsystem models linked together into an integrated, comprehensive model of an entire mining system. The subsystems comprising the Master Design Simulator include geology and reserves, methane generation, roof support, subsidence, production, rail haulage, cost, water generation, and ventilation. This volume of the final report describes the Subsidence subsystem of the Master Design Simulator. This subsystem uses the finite element method to simulate ground movement caused by an advancing mining face in an underground coal mine. The model is structured around the concept that the ground mass is a layered media of different thicknesses and material properties. Gob areas are considered to be unfilled with broken rock at the beginning of mining. After mining starts, the gob areas are filled with broken material which provides resistance to the lowering of the overlying strata. The model is tied to the Geology and Reserves subsystem, but it can also operate as a free standing routine. A case study is presented illustrating the application of the model. A detailed user's manual, including a program listing, is included in the appendices.

Jan 1, 1974

By J. A. Organiscak

The Bureau of Mines recently investigated dust generation and methane liberation during half-and full-web cutting at a double-drum shearer longwall face. This study was conducted to ascertain the health and safety aspects of wider web shearing at longwalls. Results from these underground tests showed that deeper web cutting reduced dust generation and methane liberation per ton of coal mined, while significantly improving shearer production rates. When cutting with the airflow (head-to-tail cut pass) full-web cutting decreased dust generation per ton by 16 pct at the shearer and 6 pct at the tailgate, with an increase in shearer production rate of 72 pct. Methane liberation per short ton also deere~sed by 36 pet at the shearer and 22 pct at the tailgate. Full-web cutting against the airflow (tail-to-head cut pass) decreased dust generation per ton by 41 pct at the shearer and 37 pct at the tail-gate over half-web cutting, with an increase in shearer production rate of 61 pct. Methane liberation per ton also decreased by 35 pct at the shearer and 41 pct at the tailgate. These improvements for full-web cutting are a reflection of improved cutting efficiency (less dust and methane produced from cutting) and less new face area exposed per ton of coal mined (less methane liberated from face per short ton of coal mined).

Jan 1, 1988

By James H. Prout

Roof warning signals were studied in 18 mines covering 5 coal seams. The results of this study confirmed that roof talk must be interpreted for each individual mine after all other conditions are present that indicate danger of roof fall. Characteristics of roof talk pulses were studied to ascertain features used in interpretation. Roof talk pulse decay time was found to be typically 0.1 to 0.5 seconds depending on the dimensions of the entires. Time between roof talk pulses was found to correlate inversely with the degree of danger under certain conditions. Roof talk and machinery noise recordings obtained during this study were used for subjective tests of ear protectors in a simulated coal mine noise environment. These tests required a detailed interpretation of roof talk and yielded results with high statistical power. Results of these tests showed that the use of personal ear protectors in high noise levels does not degrade a miner's ability to discriminate speech and roof talk. A training course was developed to encourage coal miners to pro-tect their hearing by proper use of personal hearing protectors.

Jan 1, 1973

By Arno C. Fieldner

The objectives of the coal-research activities of the Bureau of Mines are very well expressed in the organic act of Congress establishing the Bureau. It reads as follows: That it shall be the province and duty of the Bureau of Mines, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, to conduct inquiries and scientific and technologic investigations concerning mining, and the preparation, treatment and utilization of mineral substances with a view to improving health conditions, and increasing safety, efficiency, economic development, and conserving resources, through the prevention of waste in the mining, quarrying, metallurgical and other mineral industries; to investigate explosives and peat; and on behalf of the Government to investigate the mineral fuels and unfinished mineral products belonging to, or for the use of, the United States, with a view to their more efficient mining, preparation, treatment, and use; and to disseminate information concerning these subjects in such a manner as will best carry out the purposes of this act.

Jan 1, 1946

By Robert W. Ageton

Optimal planning for mining the deep, lead-zinc-silver deposits of the Coeur d'Alene mining district, Shoshone County, Idaho, could be facilitated by a knowledge of the magnitude and direction of the pressure acting in the virgin rock. The distribution of primary stresses should be considered in order to prevent possibly destructive mining-induced stress concentrations. This particular investigation was concerned with determining stress in a zone 4,000 feet below the surface and known to be ender stress concentrations due to mining operations. Disking of the stress-relief cores obtained in a vertical down hole permitted qualitative evaluation from visual observations; the results indicate that a high lateral stress existed at the time the measurements were made. Stress-ellipsoid determinations gave a compressive principal stress of -13,000 psi oriented about N 45° W and nearly horizontal, a compressive principal stress of -11,000 psi oriented about S 45° W and abut 60° off the vertical pointing away from the vein, and a compressive principal stress -5 -7,000 psi oriented N 45° E and about 60° off the vertical, pointing toward the vein. Subsequent to the overcoring stress-relief drilling, a rock burst occurred about 100 feet northwest of the test site.

Jan 1, 1967

By N. Dixon

This report summarizes all work performed under U.S. Bureau of Mines Contract J0377014, "Development and Evaluation of Noise Control Techniques for Taconite Processing Equipment." Three areas of taconite processing equipment, grinding mills, fine screens, and crusher screens have been investigated. Extensive noise and vibration measurements have been made on grinding mills in which the process parameters that affect mill noise have been identified, and the level of shell impact noise around the mill defined. A multiplexing telemetry system was used to obtain shell vibration measurements from a rotating mill. Mill noise control methods were investigated and a partial mill barrier was built and tested on a semi-autogeneous mill. A noise reduction of approximately 3 to 6 dBA was achieved on the falling side of the mill. The use of rubber mill liners on autogenous mills has been evaluated. The noise sources on fine screens have been quantified, and noise control treatments developed. Noise reductions of 11 to 13 dBA were achieved at positions around the fine screen and some in-service testing has been done. Noise measurents of crusher screens were obtained and noise control through resilient screen decks appears to hold the most promise. Additional benefits might be lower life-cycle cost, since the service life of resilient decks is claimed to be longer than steel.

Jan 1, 1983

By Kenneth H. Johnston

Records show that waterflooding was tried in Osage County as early as 1934, but it was not economically important until a large unitized flood in the North Burbank field was begun in 1950. Development was rapid and by the end of 1960, there were 70 active water flood projects and 16 active pressure-maintenance projects in the County. The locations and status of the water-flood and pressure-maintenance projects in Osage County on December 31, 1960 are shown in figure 1, and information pertaining to these projects as of July 1, 1960 is given in table 1. For the past several years, Bureau of Mines petroleum engineers have arranged tours of selected waterflooding projects for the spring meeting of the Kansas-Oklahoma Water flood Association. These tours are conducted to demonstrate unique operating methods and new field equipment and to provide additional opportunities for exchanging information. Each of these tours has been supplemented by a published report describing in detail the projects visited. This report has been prepared for distribution during the 1961 spring tour of three waterflooding projects and a pressure-maintenance project in Osage County, Okla. (fig. 2).

Jan 1, 1961

By C. Lorimer Colburn

"The diverting of men from industry to combat in the world's war focused the attention of the operators in this country upon mechanical means of doing things. The demand for man-power -was so insistent that every available agency for multiplying it had to be employed. It was during the 1period of the war and immediately thereafter that development of the use of underground loading devices made most rapi4 progress. In all parts of the United States, mining engineers and mine managers were diligent in their efforts to develop mechanical loaders. The mining engineers of the U. S. Bureau of Mines in every section of the country have secured, with the cooperation of the mine operators, data on the actual performance of the mechanical shovels in their districts, and have made them available to the author of this paper.No effort has been made to discuss exhaustively the subject of underground loading devices. It has been the object to collect together in one paper, records of the performance of all machines now in actual use. Improvements in the design of machines are constantly being made the performance records given in this paper relate to operation prior to March 1 1 1921. The records prior to 1920 cay not fully represent the work that could be accomplished with the present models of the same machine.The data secured are given exactly as reported by the mine operators. Since this data were collected there have been two underground loaders, of a different design, put into operation in the iron mines of the Lake Superior District. One is the John Mayne Sub-level loader, being tried by the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co., Ishpeming, Mich., and the other is the Cole-Goudie shovel, being tried by the Oliver Mining Company, at Ironwood, Mich. No information has been secured regarding the performance of either of these machines."

Oct 1, 1921

Under contract from U. S. Bureau of Mines, Harza Engineering Company in cooperation with Eastern Associated Coal Corporation, conducted a ground control study of two mechanized longwall panels at the Federal Number 2 Mine. The mine is located in Northern West Virginia, and the coal is mined from the Pittsburgh Coal Seam. The prime objective of the study was to collect data which will aid in the proper selection of the longwall supports system and to control the entry caving problem. Instruments installed in the mine were borehole pressure cells, convergence recorders, roof sag recorders, horizontal roof strain indicators, differential floor movement systems, and lateral roof and floor movement systems. Instruments installed on the surface, above the instrumented longwall panels, consisted of slope indicator system, vertical bed settlement probe system and shear displacement detecting system. A comprehensive surface subsidence study was conducted in conjunction with the instrumentation. In addition to the instrumentation and monitoring, special tests were conducted to determine the bearing capacity of the roof and floor rocks, in situ modulus of coal, roof and floor rocks, and response of borehole pressure cells to ground stress. Cores of coal measure rocks were collected for the physical property tests. Face observations were made to detect various roof behavior parameters under the different jack setting pressures. This report essentially describes the instrumentation work, special tests and presents the data collected.

Jan 1, 1976

By M. R. McKenzie

This paper describing the milling methods at the Walkermine concentrator, Plumas County, Calif., is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines on milling methods and costs in the various mining districts throughout the United States. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors wish to acknowledge their indebtedness to James O. Elton, manager of the International Smelting Co., and to Henry A. Geisendorfer, manager of the Walker Mining Co., for permission to present this paper; to H. A. Geisendorfer and J. D. Roberts, shift boss, for historical facts, and to D. D. MacLellan, geologist, for geological information.

Jan 1, 1932

By Edward P. Barrett

This investigation was a part of the Bureau of Mines program for the production of critical and essential materials needed for the war. The Boykin Committee for investigating the steel shortage aided in obtaining an appropriation to be expended by the Bureau of Mines in studying the utilization of North Dakota lignite in the manufacture of hydrogen that could be used in the production of sponge iron from the low-grade iron ores of Minnesota. This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Mines to determine the workability of the proposed shaft-furnace process and its possible use in connection with an experimental plant for the gasification of lignite operated by the Coal Division of the Bureau of Mines at Grand Forks, N. Dak.

Jan 1, 1948

By K. C. Dean

The combination of flotation and chemical processing methods presented in this report of the Bureau of Mines enabled treatment of typical low-grade ferberite ores from the Boulder County, Colo. area, to produce specification-grade synthetic scheelite. The overall recovery from ore to synthetic scheelite was 87 percent, based on a flotation recovery of 93 percent and a similar recovery in chemical processing. Preliminary mineral dressing studies revealed that the physical and mineralogical nature of typical ferberite ores precluded high recovery of tungsten in plus 60-percent-W03-grade products by these methods. Therefore, the flotation research was focused on attaining plus 90-percent recovery in a concentrate containing 10 percent W03. Detailed studies were made (1) to establish optimum grinding conditions for obtaining adequate mineral liberation, (2) to develop collecting and modifying reagent combinations that would enable controllable selective flotation, and (3) to define the influence of different pulp solids, temperature, pH, and time for conditioning and for the rougher and cleaner flotation stages.

Jan 1, 1961

By Eugene T. Sheridan

The United States has extensive reserves of peat. Peat and muck lands are estimated at approximately 79 million acres, with reserves of 13.8 billion net tons. Within the past decade domestic production of peat has increased 2-1/2 times, and apparent consumption has tripled. During the same period imports have increased greatly, and in 1955 they almost equaled domestic production. The substantial increase in the demand for peat in the United States was due chiefly to expanding markets in agriculture and horticulture, for the reason that in this country peat is used primarily as a source of organic matter to improve the physical condition of mineral soils and as a mulch for shrubbery. A valuable constituent of any soil is its organic matter, and its depletion will injure cultivated soils and subject them to greater erosion.

Jan 1, 1957

By G. R. Peterson

To determine the availability of aluminum from world bauxite resources, the Bureau of Mines investigated 139 bauxite deposits worldwide and evaluated the potential production of aluminum based on the demonstrated resources of bauxite ore from 91 mines and deposits in 22 market economy countries. The demonstrated resources of the bauxite mines and deposits included in this study represent an in situ resource of 20.2 billion metric tons of bauxite. Total identified bauxite resources in market economy countries amount to roughly 31.9 billion tons. Of the demonstrated resource, some 18.8 billion tons of bauxite considered minable provide a production potential of 3.6 billion tons of primary aluminum. Given the wide geographic distribution of bauxite deposits, stable supplies of bauxite for aluminum production seem assured well into the next century. However, a tight market situation could develop during the 1990's unless the real price of aluminum increases enough to stimulate massive new investments in production capacity, particularly in refining and smelting. This study indicates that a real price of at least $0.85 per pound (in January 1980 dollars) would be necessary to stimulate the required investments and provide a sufficient rate of return on invested capital.

Jan 1, 1983

By William H. Lyon

In 1950 the Program Staff of the Department of the Interior undertook an exploratory study in the projection of energy requirements of the nation. This work was reported in Bureau of Mines Information Circular 7582 by H. J. Barnett. In that preliminary study Mr. Barnett, after exploring the nature of the energy economy in some detail, evolved a method for estimating how much energy will be required in the future, based on estimates of trends in efficiency of energy utilization in specific applications, the physical output of specific energy-consuming industries, size of the population, productivity advances in the economy at large, consumer preferences, and other factors. Considerable new information was developed regarding the nature of energy demands and the possible levels of requirements for each fuel under various assumed business conditions. The study analyzed the interrelationships, including substitutions, among the fuels and emphasized the need for viewing the energy economy as an integrated albeit complex whole. This exploratory study showed a need for a single comprehensive statistical re-port that would assemble and show in a uniform manner the diverse published statistical data on energy commodities now scattered through many publications. A particularly important need was for a set of historical statistics showing the production and consumption of all energy on a B.t.u. basis. As the prospective size and nature of the future energy requirements of the nation are matters of continuing importance, this report was prepared to assist further investigations of the subject. In this report the authors undertake to assemble and present in tabular form, on a uniform basis, the production and use of each of the fuels and electric energy in the United states for three census years -1929, 1939, and 1947. The year 1947, rather than a later year, was selected because it is the most recent year for which census data are available showing the consumption of fuel by each of the manufacturing industries. It is hoped that making data for these 3 years available in one re-port will provide the needed statistical background for further studies of fuel requirements and supplies.

Jan 1, 1951