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By F. L. Wideman

This report describes the sinking of No. 3 shaft at the Westvaco mine. It is one of a series of publications of the Bureau of Mines on mining methods and practices in the United States. The Westvaco mine is in Sweetwater County, Wyo., approximately 23 miles northwest of the town of Green River (fig. I), There are no permanent habitations in the vicinity of the mine, and employees live in Green River or Rock Springs, Wyo., 14 miles us t of Green River. The mine plant is on a windswept, treeless plain, from which low buttes and flat-topped ridges rise. The altitude at the collar of No. 3 shaft is 6,351 feet. The climate is arid, with temperatures as low as 40° below zero in the winter. Blacks Fork, a tributary of the Green River and a perennial stream, flows near the mine.

Jan 1, 1959

By M. W. Pullen

It is recognized that the determination of electrical resistivity of the earth within a given area may furnish information concerning the location of certain mineralized strata of economic importance. Present knowledge of the electrical resistivity of the various rock formations is almost nil, and the geophysicist who is detailed to make a survey of an area without any data as to the relative resistivity of the underlying rocks is greatly handicapped. Such surveys are usually made within areas known to contain mineral deposits to aid in locating desirable points for drilling. Usually these areas have been prospected by diamond drilling, and drill cores of the various rocks and ores are usually obtainable. Were it possible to make resistivity tests in a laboratory of the drill cores or from pieces of the rocks and ore within an area before attempting a field survey, this would indicate not only the advisability for such a survey but would aid considerably in the interpretation of the results of such a survey. To be of most value a definite method should be used for all such tests, and as yet such a method has not been established.

Jan 1, 1929

By G. W. Elger

This report describes pilot-plant studies and an economic evaluation of a process developed by the Federal Bureau of Mines, Albany Metallurgy Research Center, to produce synthetic rutile from a rock-type ilmenite concentrate. In this process, ilmenite blended with coke and lime is smelted in an electric arc furnace to separate most of the iron as salable pig iron and to form a titania-enriched slag of low iron content, which is treated with oxygen and titanium pyrophosphate. The titanium oxides are converted to crystalline rutile; the phosphate glass contains most of the associated impurities. The treated slag is ground and leached with sulfuric acid to liberate rutile crystals, which are concentrated by physical methods. In pilot testing conducted to obtain data for a cost estimation, a synthesized product containing about 88 wt-pct TiO2 and less than 2 pct FeO was extracted from a rock-type ilmenite concentrate containing about 45 wt-pct TiO2. The estimated fixed capital cost (on a mid-1975 basis) of a plant producing 500 tpd of synthetic rutile is $28,290,100. Based on 330 operating days per year, the estimated operating cost for this process is $351 per ton of synthetic rutile. The estimated selling price of synthetic rutile made from rock-type ilmenite is $344 per ton, based on a credit of $160 per ton of pig iron and a 20 pct interest rate of return on investment after taxes.

Jan 1, 1976

By Foster Fraas

In the separation of a component from a mixture , two fractions are obtained , one containing a high - percentage composition of the component and the other a low - percentage composition . The high - percentage fraction is frequently called the concentrate and the low - percentage fraction the tailing . In many separation processes the recovery is not complete , and the composition of the concentrate decreases as the recovery of the component, which is concentrated , increases . It is this particular class of separations to which this paper is confined .

Oct 1, 1942

By S. L. Ausmus

The work covered in this report is a continuation of an earlier feasibility study by the Federal Bureau of Mines and points out improvements in the skull-melting method for casting reactive metals such as titanium, zirconium, and hafnium. Machined graphite molds with laminated sections can be reused many times. Large tube sections can be produced by spin casting. Graphite powder is the best expendable mold material, but binders for this use must be compounded carefully. The effects of current and furnace atmosphere on the dependent variables of the casting technique are shown. Because of developments in casting technology for titanium which eliminate the basic problems of melting and pouring the metal, opportunities for improvement in the method have increased. The mold material and gate and riser configurations require particular attention. The limits of application of the casting method have yet to be defined. New knowledge in anyone of these areas could result in marked improvements and simplifications in casting methods.

Jan 1, 1960

By Ted A. Lewtas

The effectiveness of induction fans in ventilating dead headings was studied in the laboratory and underground. The following fan attachments were evaluated: a. Aerodynamic nozzle b. Various lengths of vent tube c. Honeycomb airflow straightener. Various fan locations were also tested. The following conclusions were reached: a. A nozzle on a fan located against the drift wall gives the greatest jet penetration distance. b. Air straighteners are ineffective in increasing jet penetration. c. Induction fans are ineffective in removing contaminants from dead headings without sufficient main ventilation flow.

Jan 1, 1980

By Lewis C. Karrick

This paper is based on data obtained in the course of the oil - shale investigations of the U. S. Bureau of Mines , conducted in cooperation with the State of Utah . The amount and quality of oil that can be produced from any shale may be made to vary to an important degree by changing the temperature relations existing in the shale charge during destructive distillation . The rate at which the oil is formed from the shale is affected by the rate of heat supply , and therefore by the temperature of the shale during its thermal de composition . The quality of the oil formed may be controlled by altering the temperature of the shale , and therefore , the rate of formation of the oil . Variations in the yield and quality of shale oils may be caused by inherent properties of the retort used , but in any event the properties of the crude oil and yield are very largely the result of the extent to which the thermal de composition has progressed . Recognition of these principles will aid in explaining to a large degree the reasons for the wide variations in oils produced from the same shales by different " processes " . These principles also may be applied in the operation of different types of retorts in order that crude oils of a type most profitable to the operator may be produced . The Bureau of Mines has conducted an extended series of tests in the dee structive distillation of oil shales , in order to determine the wide variations that may be effected in the quality and yield of shale oil by changing the rate and temperature at which the oil is formed . These tests furnished interesting information on the four related points : yield of oil , quality of oil , temperatures required to distill shales , and time required for distillation .

Mar 1, 1923

By Arthur Metcalfe, Edward Thomas, A. J. Barry

"Early in 1947 the Bureau of Mines became interested in adapting suspension roof support to coal mining 5/ as a possible means of reducing the high rate of accidents from falls of roof. For a time the program made little progress be¬cause of the shortage of steel products after the end of World War II, but during the past 8 months this restriction has eased, and as of May 1, 1949, 114 mines had either started experimental work or had ordered materials and equip¬ment in anticipation of trial installations. It is estimated that 30 linear miles of roof in underground passageways have been secured by this method in recent months, and no lost-time roof-fall accident has been reported in these areas up to that date.Many coal-mining companies in widely separated localities have cooperated in making experimental installations. In very few instances are these companies entirely satisfied that they have arrived at the best solution in determining the most efficient adaptation to suit their particular conditions. Moreover, new ideas and modifications of the basic principle are constantly being brought to light and are being tested. Available test data is far from complete, and it is conceivable that some new idea will be developed to alter the present concept of proper technique; therefore, this progress report does not attempt to answer all questions that might arise in connection with this method of roof support; it simply recounts the experience acquired to date. Consequently, few references to costs are made. Up-to-date quotations on material and equipment used in suspension roof-support installations may be obtained from numerous mine-supply companies.The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of mining companies whose personnel made possible collection of the information contained in this circular: Bethlehem Collieries Corp., Barrackville, W. Va.; Berwind-White Coal Mining Co., Windber, Pa.; Consolidation Coal Co., (Ky.); Jenkins, Ky.; Consolidation Coal Co. (W. Va.), Fairmont, W.Va.; Clinchfield Coal Corp., Dante, Va.; Consolidated Coal Co., St. Louis, Mo.; Hanna Coal Co., St. Clairsville, Ohio; Missouri Portland Cement Co., Sugar Creek, Mo.; Pocahontas Fuel Corp., Pocahontas, Va.; Reppert Coal Co., Dola, W. Va.; St. Joseph Lead Co., Bonne Terre, Mo.; and Tennessee Coal, Iron, & Railroad Co., Birmingham, Ala.The fundamental theory of suspension roof supports is not new; in fact, its application in the construction of beams predates mining itself. The basic principle involved is the reinforcement of roof rock with steel rods inserted in the roof and anchored therein at points where the rock is least likely to be affected by stresses resulting from mining. Such roof supports have been used in mines for many years in widely separated localities. The St. Joseph Lead Co., operating in southeastern Missouri, apparently was the first large mining company to prove the practicability of the principle by applying it in a systematic manner for securing roof for more than 20 years (fig. 1)."

Sep 1, 1949

By Wilbert J. Huff, Raymond H. Moore

"Black powder is employed widely in peace and war. Its properties are therefore of considerable interest to many. The Bureau of Mines frequently is asked to furnish information on its use and safe handling in the mining and mineral industries in times of peace and is now engaged in studies of its application to the arts of war.Black powder has been the agent in many accidents - some very disastrous - and its handling and use are deemed very hazardous. The belief is widespread that the hazards are due principally to the ease with which the powder is ignited by a hot spark or flame in contradistinction to high explosives; these usually are ignited only with difficulty, and some burn incompl0tely and to a certain extent are self-extinguishing. Primary precautions, .therefore, should be taken to prevent the access of heat, spark, and flame.In black powder manufacturing operations a frequent source of disaster is the initiation of fires and explosions in the wheel mills in which the sulfur, charcoal, and nitrate are incorporated. Long experience has indicated that the wheel mill probably will fire if the powder is not kept moist enough; manufacturing supervision calls for the maintenance of a minimum moisture content, at least during the milling. Accidents occur elsewhere in the manufacturing line, and in an endeavor to minimize these, particularly those happening in corning mills, one of the writers suggested many years ago that a suitable humidity be maintained in other operations in the hope that it would serve protectively as in the wheel mill. The experience of one company for many years with this practice was favorable. It seemed desirable therefore, to explore the question experimentally."

Nov 1, 1944

By S. G. McAnally

This is one of a series of papers describing mining and crushing methods and costs at cement plant quarries throughout the United States and deals directly with the methods employed and costs obtained at the Reliance quarry of the Giant Portland Cement Co. at Egypt, Pa., although it is more or less descriptive of the methods used throughout the Lehigh Valley cement district. Systems of transportation vary according to local conditions, such as proximity to the mill, depth of quarry floor with relation to the mill level, etc. Methods of prospecting differ mainly in the type f drills used. Systems of storage, crushing, and grinding vary chiefly in the types of units. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Most of the information regarding the early history of the Lehigh cement district was obtained from the History f the Portland Cement Industry of the United States, by Robert W. Lesley, the first president of the Portland Cement Association. The writer is indebted also to Charles Clader, Giant Portland Cement Co. quarry superintendent, for valuable information regarding present and past methods and equipment.

Jan 1, 1931

By Robert C. Hickman

"INTRODUCTION The Big Four fault and the Sandy Creek fault, with several cross faults, traverse the Stalion-Curnel fluorspar prospect in a northeasterly direction. The Big Four mine, about three-quarters of a mile northeast of the prospect, is the only active mine in the immediate area.A resistivity survey was made of a portion of the prospect by the Division of Geophysical Exploration, Bureau of Mines, in May and June 1946. As a result of this survey, five holes were drilled by the Bureau of Mines during the period from October 8 to December 16, 1946. Two Longyear No. 12 Junior Straitline diamond drills were used for the work.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIn its program of investigation of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy. It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Division, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts preliminary examinations, does the actual investigative work, and prepares the final report. The Metallurgical Division, Oliver C. Ralston, chief, analyzes samples and makes beneficiation tests.The project was under the supervision of Mitchell H. Kline, chief, Raleigh Branch, Mining Division."

Mar 1, 1948

By John H. Soule

"Although known since 1902, the Capitan iron deposits have not been mined, mainly because of the low grade of the ore. Only a small amount of exploratory work has been done since the discovery. C. H. Johnson, district engineer of the Bureau of Mines in New Mexico in 1942-45, visited the property; as a result, preliminary sampling of the property was done in 1943.3/ Owing to the results of this preliminary work, an extensive development program by wagon drilling was planned and executed early in 1944.4/ Equipment available at that time was limited in the depths that could be reached; and, as geologic studies indicated the possibility that other limestone beds below the surface might have been replaced by iron minerals, a supplementary development program by churn drilling to reach greater depths was prosecuted in late 1947 and early 1948, with the author as project engineer.The following sections note the location and accessibility of the deposits and mention the physical features, climate, labor and living conditions. Property and ownership are outlined, the history and production of the property stated briefly, and the ore deposits are described. The work done by the Bureau of Mines is explained and supported with maps, sections, and assay logs.From March 1, 1944, to June 1, 1944, 179 wagon-drill holes totaling 3,490 feet and 4 test pits totaling 75 feet were completed, and from November 1947 to February 1948 seven churn-drill holes totaling 2,488 feet were drilled and sampled. Metallurgical tests are summarized and referenced.With respect to this report, special acknowledgment is due to J. H. Hedges, chief, Tuscon, Ariz., Branch, Mining Division, and to W. R. Storms, engineer in-charge of the Silver City, N. Mex., field office. Acknowledgment also is due to J. Bruce Clemmer, chief, Tuscon Branch, Metallurgical Division, for analyses done in the last phase of this project, and to Dr. Vincent Kelley of the Federal Geological Survey for his cooperation during this work.The Capitan iron deposits are in secs. 10, 11, 13, 14, and 15, T. 8 S., R. 14 E., central Lincoln County, N. Mex., as shown on figures 1 and 2. The only known large deposit upon which the Bureau did development work lies around the common corner of secs. 10, 11, 14, and 15, as shown in figures 2 and 3, and just southwest of and in the foothills of the Capitan Mountains. This range of mountains trends east and west. The elevation of the highest peak is 10,205 feet.The deposits are reached by traveling on State Highway 48 from Capitan north for 4 miles, to a point just inside the Lincoln National Forest fence and thence due east over a poor dirt road for 1.2 miles. Just over a small wooden bridge, the left-fork is taken, and the poor road is followed to the deposits, a further distance of 1.1 miles (see fig. 1). This road follows the fence to and through the Davis ranch. All the roads from Capitan to the deposits are dirt roads but are impassable only for short periods during and after heavy rain or snow."

Aug 1, 1949

By A. S. Prokopovitsh

A spectrophotometric method for the determination of small amounts of copper in tungsten metal powder using the principle of solvent extraction has been developed by the Federal Bureau of Mines. The metallic sample is dissolved in hydrogen peroxide, tartaric acid added, the pH adjusted, and the excess peroxide destroyed by boiling. Copper is reduced to the cuprous state, and the reagent neocuproine (2,9-dimethy1-1,10-phenanthroline) is added to form a colored complex with the copper. This colored complex is then extracted into chloroform and the absorbance of the separated chloroform layer measured on a spectrophotometer. Copper contents as low as 1 p.p.m. (parts per million) can be determined. The method is limited to finely divided tungsten powder. The interest of the Bureau of Mines in developing more sensitive methods for the determination of trace impurities in high-purity tungsten prompted an investigation of the possibility of using solvent extraction-colorimetric methods. The organic reagents now commercially available make possible many extremely sensitive colorimetric methods for the determination of metallic ions. Extraction of the colored complex into a small volume of organic phase can be used to further increase sensitivity (4) .4/ This general approach has the added advantage that no special equipment beyond that normally found in an analytical laboratory is required.

Jan 1, 1961

By Richard A. Andre, R. Larry Grayson, Thomas Simonyi

"INTRODCICTIONThe search for the cause(s) of coal workers' Pneunoconiosis continues despite the vast amount of research that has been undertaken over the past forty to fifty years. Good correlation between the mass of dust inhaled over workers' lifetimes and the incidence of the disease has led to the development of effective environmental standards and implementation of good procedures for the control of dust generation and dispersion in the working place. Research has only begun, however, to uncover the biochemical mechanisms involved in initiating the disease.Correlation between the rank of the coal seam in which miners worked and disease incidence and severity is acknowledged worldwide, but the agents in the higher rank coal seams which cause CWP arc still not defined. The basic components of the coal seams, i.e., the elements and minerals, are generally known, but the way in which they interact with human pulmonary cells is largely still a mystery.The process of disease development is a biochemical one which depends on the characteristics of the pulmonary cells within their immediate biochemical environment and the characteristics of invading respirable coal mine dust particles, probably both chemical and physical ones. The cell-particle relationship, therefore, must be defined, and both cells and particles must be characterized according to properties which potentially are involved in the disease process.Following such characterization, specific respirable dusts from different coal seams, which appear to have different effects on coal workers, must be obtained or constructed and then used in experiments designed to determine dust toxicity or the response of animals exposed to the dusts.The results presented here focus on characterizing properties of respirable coal mine dust particles collected from operating longwalls in West Virginia and Virginia Longwall panels were selected for analysis because the respirable dust in the coal face areas is largely uncontaminated by rock dust and analysis of the dust yields results unconfounded by rock dust."

Jan 1, 1990

By C. F. McCarroll

[Laboratory research and, control in the u?odnction an; utilization of petroleum and its product s have eqLmde& greatly during the past decade, rind much of the routine control and experimental equipment noirr requires the con-stant daily use of liquid nercury. In spite of this greater use, very little consideration has becn given to the hazard that might be occasioned by the toxic vapors of mercury unavoicl.a~l.p spilled or otherwise exposed to the atmosphere during the normcl 2rgced1u.e of ln30r~tor;~r operations. A sfmple visual exami~stion gf' sone of the laborztories reveals the prescnce of a considerable quantity of mercury in the craclcs of floors, on work tebles, ad on and mo7md eql~ipmeilt st.ads. Usually this yercurj ie contaminated with oily and dirt BO th~t it remint; in R finely divided state and a srnarl amount presents a relativell- lag? surface for evaporation. Since mercury shows meas~rable vo!-atility st a tempero.turc as lor^ 2s 8.5O F., mercury vapor will bo present in the atnosphere of anjr laboratory wbr.e mercury is exposed. promiscuously]

Jan 1, 1939

By E. J. Lintner

This paper is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines describing clay mining, crushing and grinding methods, and costs, at various operations throughout the United States. These papers are designed to disseminate technical information regarding methods used. The, cost tabulations represent local operating expenditures only and not total production costs. It is recognized that publication of total production costs may in many instances cause embarrassment to the individual operator as well as to the industry as a whole. On the other hand, operating costs are essential to the technical discussion and study of the methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically called to this differentiation in order that no misunderstanding of the scope of the cost tabulation shall ensue. The following report deals specifically with the methods employed by the Evans Pipe Co., Uhrichsville, Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following company officials: T. J. Evans, II, president; T. J. Evans III, vice president and general manager; and L. P. Young, general superintendent.

Jan 1, 1936

By D. A. Lucero, J. E. Brockmann, L. A. Mondy, K. L. Rubow, D. J. Rader

"Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MNExperimental and correlated stage responses (the fraction of particles entering an impactor that are collected on a stage) are presented for the Andersen Mark III and Marple personal cascade impactors. The impactors were operated upright and fully assembled so that interstage interference and wall losses could be properly studied. The observed stage responses showed maxima that fell significantly short of unity, meaning that a monodisperse aerosol is never collected exclusuvely on one stage, but is distributed among several stages and internal losses. Correlations for the stage responses are presented so that the experimental results can be used to determine size distributions with available data-inversion algorithms. Simulations with log-normal distributions show significant differences between dpa50 histograms and the more accurate distributions that result by taking the response functions into account.Cascade impactors are widely used for the measurement of aerosol size distributions; their ruggedness and simplicity of operation make them an attractive choice for a variety of environments. In one common application, the aerosol of interest is drawn through the impactor, and the amount deposited on each stage is determined gravimetrically. The primary objective is to extract as much information as possible about the initial size distribution from the resulting set of weights. Unfortunately, the reconstruction of contin-uous size distributions from finite data sets is an ill-posed problem. Not surprisingly, a variety of such reconstruction techniques are presently in use; the success of each method depends on the particular nature of the aerosol sample and the instrument response.Inversion of impactor data by any of these techniques requires that the response functions for each stage be known. The stage response function gives the fraction of particles entering the impactor that deposits on that stage. Values of the response function range from zero to one, and depend on impactor operating conditions (e.g., geometry, flow rate, and gas properties) and particle properties (e.g., diameter, density, and shape factor). As interstage interferences and particle losses will affect each stage's response, experimental determination of stage responses should be made for fully assembled impactors. Unfortunately, impactor stage response functions are rarely reported; rather, single-stage efficiency curves are given that provide an incomplete description of impactor performance.This paper presents experimental stage responses for two fully assembled cascade impactors: the Andersen Mark III and Marple personal impactors (model 298, Andersen Samplers, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.). These calibrations were performed with monodisperse liquid droplets for both impactors and also with monodisperse solid spheres for the Marple personal impactor. The calibration results for the Mark 111 impactor presented here have been previously reported in the response-function format (Rader et al., 1989). The calibration results for the Marple personal impactor, however, were originally presented in the single-stage efficiency for¬mat (Rubow et al., 1987) and have been reanalyzed in this work. Losses within both impactors are considered, and their treat¬ment within data inversion techniques is dis¬cussed. In addition, correlations for each impactor's response functions are presented so that these calibration results can be easily included in data-inversion algorithms. Size distribution inversions using these response correlations are compared with the standard cut-point method for two lognormal test dis¬tributions."

Mar 1, 1992

By A. D. Bauer

For several years the Bureau of Mines has conducted surveys to determine the changes in motor gasoline being sold throughout the United States. The present survey shows that far the districts in which samples were collected, the average gasoline is becoming more volatile instead of less so, as is sometimes supposed. This year's gasoline is much more volatile than that sold two years ago, and it has a somewhat better distillation range than last summer's samples. A comparison of the average figures for several years, shows that motor gasoline is also becoming more uniform in character. The large seasonal change is disappearing, but ?winter gasoline', still has a lower initial boiling point than "scanner gasoline". This difference in volatility is made intentionally to facilitate starting the motor in cold weather. The end point shown in the present survey is slightly lower either than that of last winter or of the summer of 1921.

Jan 1, 1922

By Richard A. Winters

In 1987, at the request of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Bureau of Mines studied the 6,022-acre Spring Basin Wilderness Study Area (OR-005-009) in order to evaluate its mineral resources. The study area is in Wheeler County about 13 miles southwest of Fossil, Oregon. No mineral resources were identified. The area is underlain by volcanic flows, domes and sediments ranging in composition from olivine basalt to rhyolite of the Clarno and John Day Formations. There are three mining claims in the study area, all apparently located for lapidary material. Samples of agate were of poor quality. Four of 13 alluvial samples, two inside and two adjacent to the area, contained gold; content ranged from 0.0000097 to 0.00416 troy ounce per cubic yard. About 23 percent of the Wilderness Study Area is covered by oil and gas lease applications.

Jan 1, 1988

By Robert L. Virta

The Bureau of Mines examined a fibrous talc sample from the Gouverneur talc district in New York by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and polarized light microscopy to determine the mineralogical relationship of the fibrous talc to the amphiboles present in the sample. Two am-phiboles, anthophyllite and tremolite, were present in the sample. Tremolite occurred as a separate mineral phase, which was blocky in habit. Only a few composite tremolite-talc grains were observed. An-thophyllite, however, was present only in the fibrous talc grains. Mi-crodiffraction study of the fibrous talc grains containing anthophyllite showed that the anthophyllite was intermixed with the talc on a fine scale and that there was a crystallographic relationship between the talc and anthophyllite lattices in the fibrous talc grains. A mechanism similar to the process that forms biopyriboles could explain the structural defects, the fibrous habit of the talc, and the structural relationship between the talc and anthophyllite in the fibrous talc grains. Because of these characteristics, phase contrast microscopy and a provisional TEM technique for monitoring asbestos exposure would not distinguish between fibrous talc and fibrous amphiboles. TEM techniques employing electron diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis are recommended to positively identify the fibrous phases for regulatory purposes.

Jan 1, 1985