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By E. J. Gleim

The Bureau of Mines customarily publishes lists of equipment meeting its safety standards to keep the mining industry informed as to the development and availability of mining equipment that can be used safely. The present list supplements Bulletin 543, Permissible Mine Equipment Approved to January 1, 1953, as well as Information Circular 7722, Permissible Mine Equipment Approved During the Calendar Years 1953-54. Because standards have been revised and new ones added by the Bureau, this list contains classes of equipment not previously covered.

Jan 1, 1958

By Robert W. Freedman, Robert L. Craft, William G. Humphrey

As part of a continuing effort to reduce the weight and bulk of equipment that mining personnel must carry underground, the Bureau of Mines and the Mining Enforcement and Safety Administration (MESA) investigated accurate and convenient gas samplers for use by mine inspectors in sampling mine atmospheres. The samplers are septum-stoppered glass vials commonly used for routine blood sampling. These lightweight, compact samplers yield results comparable with those obtained with conventional bottle samplers of 250-ml nominal capacity.

Jan 1, 1975

By A. J. Kraemer

"During the past several years a great deal of discussion has centered around the question of the permissible limit of sulphur content in fuels for automotive and aviation motors. Under certain conditions of operation, sulphur in motor fuels causes the formation of corrosive substances which attack bearings, wrist pins, and other parts of engines. On the other hand, in making gasoline from certain stocks, the gasoline fraction normally contains a relatively large proportion of sulphur compounds. By the generally used processes of reducing the sulphur content, a significant part of the gasoline fraction is lost as motor fuel, and added expenses are entailed for chemicals, labor, and other process costs. This condition has been an economic burden to some refiners of high-sulphur crudes. In some instances the treating losses have been rather severe and the treating costs relatively high, but the data presented in this paper indicate that the reduction of sulphur content of motor fuel is a problem to a relatively small number of refiners and of little or no concern to the remainder; in fact, more than 90 per cent of the 153 samples analyzed passed the Federal specification requirement, Which limits the sulphur content to 0.10 per cent. 3This report is based upon the results of an examination for sulphur content, Doctor test, copper strip corrosion, and color of the samples collected during January, 1930, for the twenty-first semiannual gasoline survey of the Bureau of Mines. The results of the gravity ad distillation tests of the survey were published as Report of Investigations 2995. The numbering of the samples given in this report is the same as in Report of Investigations 2995; for example, No. 25 of this report is the same sample as No. 25 of Report of Investigations 2995."

Jun 1, 1930

By A. J. Kraemer

[During the past several years a great deal of discussion has centered around the question of the permissible limit of sulphur content in fuels for automotive and aviation motors. Under certain conditions of operation, sulphur in motor fuels causes the formation of corrosive substances which attach bearings, wrist pins, and other parts of engines. On the other hand, in making gas¬oline from certain stocks, the gasoline fraction normally contains a relatively large proportion of sulphur compounds. By the generally used processes of reducing the sulphur content, a significant part of the gasoline fraction is lost as motor fuel, and added expenses are entailed for chemicals, labor, and other process costs. This condition has been an economic burden to some refiners of high-sulphur crudes. In some instances the treating losses have been rather severe and the treating costs relatively high, but the data presented in this paper indicate that the reduction of sulphur content of motor fuel is a problem to a relatively small number of refiners and of little or no concern to the remainder; in fact, more then 90 per cent of the 153 samples analyzed passed the Federal specification requirement, which limits the sulphur content to 0.10 -nor cent. 3 This report is based upon the results of an examination for sulphur content, Doctor test, copper strip corrosion, and color of the samples collected during January, 1930, for the twenty-first semiannual gasoline survey of the Bureau of Mines. The results of the gravity and distillation tests of the survey were published as Report of Investigations 2995. The numbering of the samples given in this report is the same' as in Report of Investigations 2995; for example, No. 25 of this report is the same sample as No. 25 of Report of Investigations 2995.]

Jan 1, 1930

By George W. Healy

The direct retorting of zinc sulfide concentrates in the presence of lime and carbon was examined on a laboratory scale with ten-gram charges of loose mix or fifteen-gram ones of pellets. A slow stream of nitrogen swept through the furnace tube over the boat of reactants, carrying with it the zinc vapor, which condensed on a rolled-up steel sheet near the exit, permitting weight of zinc produced to be obtained after completion of a run. Variables explored were percent of theoretical reagents, temperature, and time. During the runs gas samples were analysed periodically, and the content of CO2, CO and nitrogen were obtained. The quantities of the carbon gases could be calculated because the nitogen flow rate was measured. The gases were also examined for sulfur species, but neither COS nor SO2 could be detected at maximum sensitivity. Zinc recovery increased with excess carbon and lime and with temperature. It ranged from 77% at a ten percent deficiency to 90% at a ten percent excess at 1100°C. Going to 1200°C and theoretical reagents gave 93% recovery. Increasing time from 200 minutes to 300 minutes increased zinc yield by up to 10%. Results from sphalerite and a commercial concentrate from AMAX gave generally similar results. The reaction rate of zinc sulfide as sphalerite and of calcined sphalerite indicated that the latter reacted almost twice as fast, and recovery of zinc was five percent higher. Though the retorting step using sulfide, lime, and carbon proved to be non-polluting, it was feared that on storage the calcium sulfide in the residues would decompose, giving off noxious gases. Consequently the stabilization of the residues by oxidation was essayed. Because of the presence of unreacted zinc sulfide, the first product of oxidation was S02. Reaction of CaS to CaSO4 was incomplete, going from 20% at 800°C to 90% at 1200°C. Thus the non-polluting nature of the process as a whole is in doubt, and its economics are likely to be unfavorable compared to the traditional way of calcining the concentrates, followed by retorting of the oxide with carbon.

Jan 1, 1982

By R. W. Holliday

To determine the copper and nickel content of reported ore occurrences in the Chippewa mine near Rockmont, Douglas County, Wis., the Bureau of Mines reopened and sampled the old shaft and workings during the summer and fall of 1953. Occurrences of native copper near Rockmont and others near Gordon, also in Douglas County, Wis., are in lava flows, which extend from the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan southwest across Wisconsin and into Minnesota. Sporadic attempts have been made to find additional economic copper deposits in these flows since profitable mines were developed in Upper Michigan nearly 100 years ago. The Rockmont and Gordon areas were explored extensively more than 50 years ago. More recently, from August 1944 to duly 1945, an occurrence near Gordon was investigated by the Bureau.2/

Jan 1, 1955

By J. S. Browning

The purpose of this Bureau of Mines project was to develop a method for recovering kyanite and sillimanite from the present zircon-mill tailing of the Jacksonville and Starke, Fla., plants of Humphreys Gold Corp. The kyanite and sillimanite in the ore are not being exploited at present, but procedures for recovering the two minerals were worked out by the Bureau in the interest of conserving natural resources. The current zircon-mill tailing of the Starke plant contains up to 20 percent of a mixture of kyanite and sillimanite. A similar product of the Jacksonville plant contains up to 15 percent kyanite and sillimanite. The average annual production of the tailing now being stockpiled contains several thousand tons of the two minerals. Laboratory batch-flotation tests were made on the materials to determine the feasibility of flotation methods for recovering high-grade concentrates. Various reagents were employed under different conditions to determine the optimum conditions for flotation of kyanite and sillimanite and retardation of the gangue materials. The results of the preliminary flotation tests were encouraging enough to warrant more comprehensive testing of a larger sample of the ore in the laboratory pilot plant.

Jan 1, 1956

By A. L. Engel

This report is a compilation of preliminary and, in some cases, more extensive concentration experiments by the Federal Bureau of Mines on low-and medium-grade fluorspar ores from three localities in Nevada and one in California. The work was done on samples obtained from Shoshone mine, Nye County, Valery mine, Pershing County, and the Broken Hills mine, Mineral County, all in Nevada, and Dirty Weather mine, Inyo County, Calif. These investigations were made to aid in the development of domestic fluorspar resources, in line with the Bureau's long-established program of conservation of mineral resources. The treatment methods employed in the experimental work described included simulated or "heavy-liquid" gravity concentration of coarse minerals and comparatively fine-grained minerals, and flotation concentration of finely-ground minerals. These methods were attempted in order to beneficiate the ores and produce concentrates which could be marketed readily, with as high a recovery rate as possible, while using simple treatment methods suitable for small-scale operation.

Jan 1, 1961

By Edward D. Thimons

Because of the high number of accidental methane gas ignitions in metal and nonmetal mines, the Bureau of Mines searched for a simple guideline that would allow mine personnel to evaluate the methane hazard in a given mine. Air samples were collected by the Bureau in 53 metal and nonmetal mines and analyzed for trace evidence of methane gas. Samples were collected in the returns and at the working faces. Those mines classified as gassy by the Mine Safety and Health Administration had a significantly higher average methane concentration than those classified as nongassy. Of the 9 gassy mines sampled, 7 had methane concentrations above 100 ppm, whereas only 1 of the 44 nongassy mines had a concentration above 100 ppm. The 100-ppm concentration may be used as a simple and convenient guideline for forecasting the methane hazard in a mine, whether or not the mine is classified as gassy. There was no consistent correlation between commodity mined and methane concentration, nor was there a correlation between mine depth and methane concentration. Neither of these factors can be considered a guideline for predicting methane hazards.

Jan 1, 1979

Reduce costs of recontouring surface mined land by improving bulldozer blades. Approach A specialized 48-foot-wide bulldozer blade set at an angle, a 13-foot bulldozer blade with swept-forward end sections, and a 24-foot grading bar are used in conjunction with conventional bulldozers to reduce the cost of recontouring surface mined land. How They Work The angle blade is used to do the initial and intermediate leveling of long spoil banks. It is mounted at an angle on two 410-horsepower crawler tractors in a side-by-side offset configuration, but requires only one operator since both tractors are controlled by a single set of controls. The angle blade usually begins its cycle at one end of the spoil bank where the operator fills the blade and moves forward, continuously cutting and casting the material to the repose slope. At the opposite end of the spall bank, the angle blade turns around and begins cut-ting and casting material to the opposite repose slope. This action continues until adjacent banks meet or the lateral distance from the center line of the spoil bank to the repose slope exceeds approximately 40 to 50 feet. At this distance, the sidecasting angle blade is no longer effective, and conventional bulldozers are used to do the final land shaping.

Jan 1, 1981

By M. B. Cooke, A. D. Bauer, E. W. Dean

The Bureau of Mines is collecting and analyzing representative samples of crude petroleum from all the producing fields in the United States , and the results are being published in a series of reports that are preliminary to the issue of a bulletin covering the entire survey . The bureau has recently completed a survey of crude oils from the Kansas district . In all 27 samples were collected and analyzed , under the direction of A. W. Ambrose , chief petroleum technologist of the Bureau. Valuable assistance was received through the cooperation of oil companies operating in the State , especially the Prairie Pipe Line Co. , and the Empire Pipe Line Co. The present report issued as Serial 2322 , on the Kansas crudes , forms the fifth of the series . Of the four previous papers , the first ( No. 2202 ) deals with crudes from the Eastern fields of the United States , the second ( No. 2235 ) with crudes from the Rocky Mountain district , the third ( No. 2290) gives additional data , cn viscosities and pour tests , for the crudes from these two fields , and the fourth ( No. 2293 ) covers the fields of northern Texas , northern Louisiana , and Arkansas . The details of the methods of collecting samples , making laboratory tests and interpreting results , have been discussed in these earlier reports . It has also been pointed out that the only adequate method of interpreting analyses of crude oils is to compare the individual reports with the analysis of some crude oil that is familiar to the operator . For this reason , no comprehensive discussion of the results of the Kansas survey is attempted, although some general statements may be made .

Feb 1, 1922

By K. C. Dean

During the investigations of the occurrence of manganese in the Western United States, a Bureau of Mines examining engineer collected samples frame two properties in Beaver County, Utah. As the ores were too low in grade to be acceptable by manufacturers of ferromanganese, beneficiation studies were made to determine the amenability of the ores to concentration. The Steelville property is about 37 miles southwest of Frisco, Utah. The deposit is an example of manganese occurring as a replacement of limestone in a bedded vein or as layers in limestone associated with shale and rock decomposition products. The Susie Q deposit, about 33 miles southwest of Milford, Utah, is also a tabular replacement deposit in limestone, apparently of limited extent. Test work was done on representative samples of 2-ton lots obtained by the examining 'engineer from each of the properties mentioned.

Jan 1, 1951

By Alan R. Buehler

In 1986, at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Mines studied part of the 256,430-acre Alvord Desert and part of the 22,240-acre East Alvord Wilderness Study Area (OR-002-074 and OR-002-073A, respectively), in order to evaluate their identified mineral resources. The study areas are located in Harney and Malheur Counties, OR, about 25 mi northeast of the small village of Fields. There are no mines, prospects, or identified mineral resources inside the study areas. Basalt flows within the study areas contain chalcedony-lined vugs and banded agate which may be of interest to rock hounds. An ignimbrite flow contains perlitic material, but crystalline contaminants make it unsuitable for commercial uses. Lacustrine (lake) sediments contain diatomite and clays, and evaporite crusts contain boron too low grade to profitably mine. Small quantities of common opal and petrified wood occur which might be of possible interest to rock hounds. Some of the petrified wood is black, free of fractures, and polishes well; it may be suitable as backing material for soft, thin, and brittle gemstones, such as precious opal. The lacustrine sediments also contain black, fetid layers which have above background, but economically insignificant concentrations of zinc, cobalt, nickel, barium, iron, manganese, aluminum, and potassium. Large quantities of fine-grained dune sands within the study areas are too far from markets for economic consideration. Ephemeral streams in the study areas contain small amounts of placer gold of no economic interest. The western portions of both study areas are reported to have moderate favorability for occurrences of natural gas, and both study areas are reported to have high favorability for the occurrence of geothermal resources. As of December 1986, oil and gas leases covered 3,100 acres in the study areas.

Jan 1, 1987

By H. R. Batchelder

Much information on oxygen production and the manufacture of synthetic liquid fuels has been published during the past several years. From time to tine the investment and operating cost of oxygen plants of various sizes has been estimated. Surveys have been made so that the various processes by which oxygen is produced commercially might be compared. The gas-making processes in which oxygen is employed, which wore used in Germany during the war, have been described in T.O.M. reels, and this information has been published. Descriptions of pilot-scale or proposed commercial plants for the production of synthesis gas or hydrogen and their conversion to synthetic liquid fuels also have been published. In general, each of these publications has dealt with a particular phase of the over-all problem. The present paper will discuss the relationship between these phases: The factors that affect oxygen manufacture and costs, the methods for the use of oxygen and for the production of synthetic liquid fuels, and, to some extent, the economic factors that must be considered.

Jan 1, 1951

By W. Beckering

IN CHARACTERIZING tars obtained by the low-temperature carbonization or North Dakota lignite, infrared spectra have been an invaluable aid in both qualitative and quantitative examination. Quite early it became evident in the tar-research program of the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, that the small number of published spectra available for hydroxy aromatics would be inadequate for comparative purposes when dealing with the wide range of compounds present in coal tar; therefore, compiling a catalog of spectra was initiated as a continuing part of the tar program. As these spectra should be valuable to other investigators in this and related fields, they are being presented in this report. This group or spectra (figs. 1-98) represent 97 compounds, largely phenolic materials. The major problem of this project has been the availability of materials for examination. Samples have been obtained from commercial and private laboratories or synthesized at the Bureau of Mines Lignite Experiment Station, Grand Forks, N. Dak.

Jan 1, 1959

By Edward D. Thimons

The Bureau of Mines has developed a damage-resistant brattice, intended for use as a stopping in locations where blast damage to stoppings is a problem, the roof is relatively flat, and the differential pressure across the stopping is not high. Damage-resistant brattices consist of a series of vertically hung brattice panels joined to each other by Velcro connections that improve the airtightness of the brattice. When the brattice is subjected to strong blast forces, the Velcro connections peel apart, allowing the panels to open without incurring damage. The Velcro connections can then be resealed in a matter of minutes. A preliminary test in the Bureau's Safety Research Mine and subsequent long-term testing at the White Pine copper mine in Michigan and the Retsof salt mine in New York show that damage-resistant brattices withstand blasting better than conventional stoppings, while still performing as efficient air barriers when the Velcro connections are sealed.

Jan 1, 1978

By R. R. Sayers

The effect of comparatively low concentrations of carbon monoxide for short periods and under normal air conditions.of temperature and humidity , with the subject at rest , was studied by Dr. Yandell Henderson and his co -workers . In making recommendations to the New York and New Jersey tunnel commissions * he advised that , if the New York New Jersey vehicular tunnel be so ventilated that persons passing through the tunnel would be exposed to not more than 4 parts of carbon monoxide in 10,000 parts of air for not longer than 45 minutes , they would experience no ill effects . supplementary experiments , carried out by us in connection with our studies at the Bureau of Mines experiment station at Pittsburgh, substantiated this advice . ** In continuing our studies on low concentrations of carbon monoxide , we made a few experiments in a gas chamber where the conditions could be accurately controlled . The factors investigatel were : ( 1 ) The effect of long exposure in low concentrations of carbon monoxide ; ( 2 ) The effect of strenuous exercise ; ( 3 ) The effect of high temperature and humidity in low concentrations of ccarbon Lonoxide .

Mar 1, 1922

By S. P. Holt

The Rush & Brown mine has been one of the most consistent small producers of copper ore in the history of Alaskan mining. Approximately 50,000 tons of ore have been shipped to smelters from the property. Production has been made from two distinct and separate ore bodies of dissimilar types. The Shear Vein deposit has been mined to a depth of 500 feet below the surface without a reduction in the size of the ore shoot or the grade of ore. The Magnetite ore body has been partly mined to a depth of 200 feet below the surface. Because of the favorable production record of the Rush & Brown mine, the present need for copper and the fact that the owners were attempting to place the mine in production, it was deemed advisable to investigate this property under the Strategic Minerals Act of 1939 as a possible source of copper.

Jan 1, 1948

By S. M. Shelton, F. D. DeVaney, M. M. Fine

Ferrograde manganese ore or its equivalent is essential to the manufacture of every ton of steel produced ; although it is well -known that there are large deposits of low - grade ore in the United States , the production of substantial amounts of ferrograde material from domestic sources presents a problem that becomes more and more critical as the stockpiled ore is depleted through inability to obtain adequate supplies from foreign sources . Consequently, a program of laboratory and pilot - plant investigations designed to solve the problem of obtaining a domestic supply of manganese has been undertaken by the Metallurgical Division, Bureau of Mines . This paper is one of a new series that will include reports of results obtained in the various investigations conducted under the manganese program . The scope of the program and the organization that was set up to direct and supervise the work were discussed in the foreword of the first paper of this series , Report of Investigations 3606 , Manganese Investigations 1. Concentration of Manganese Ores from the Drum Mountain District, Utah, by S. R. Zimmerley, J. D. Vincent , and C. H. Schack . Other reports will be published as the work progresses .

Feb 1, 1942

By Scott Turner

We have gathered here in Pittsburgh, at the Nineteenth Annual Safety Congress, in order to advance the cause of safety. Although my personal inter- est in this movement alone would have been sufficient to insure my presence here, specific duties have brought me to this congress in an official capacity. My responsibilities as the head of the United States Bureau of Mines, which makes the promotion of safety in the mining and allied industries one of its major activities, necessitate my attendance. My obligations as president of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association, an organization closely allied to the bureau and which has for one of its objects the public recognition and reward of outstanding achievements in safety, require that I be present at this time. This morning, my job is to present the Holmes safety certificate to the Lehigh Portland Cement Co. First I will remind you of the nature of this safety association, named in honor of the first director of the Bureau of Mines. After Mr. Holmes' death, in 1915, a number of influential organizations banded together to commemorate the name of this leader in the conservation of human life. In order that you may appreciate the significance of an award by the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association, I shall read you the list of 24 national organizations which comprise its membership:

Nov 1, 1930