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By Charles W. Merrill

AN ADEQUATE, dependable, and continuing supply of raw materials is indispensable to tile the United States and its industries in meeting the needs of an expanding Population, a rising standard of living, and the national security. The primary responsibility for appraising the status of the country's mineral supply and for making appropriate recommendations within the executive branch and to the Congress has been pinned in the U.S. Department of the Interior. In fulfilling its role of governmental responsibility for raw-material supplies and their efficient utilization, the Bureau of Mines has analyzed the factors in current and future mineral supplies and demands and has developed 87 statements for specific commodities that assess the national position and problems for these metals, minerals, and mineral fuels. These statements, which constitute the chapters of this volume, are based on lire assumption that nearly till production and consumption of materials in the United States are to be by private individuals and organizations, in accordance with the Nation's devotion to a private-enterprise economy.

Jan 1, 1960

By Richard H. Spencer

The purpose of this program was threefold: (1) to identify the symptoms of poor or inadequate performance of trolley carrier phone systems; (2) to assess the root causes of performance difficulties and classify them on the basis of equipment, coupling, or transmission; (3) to propose, analyze, test, evaluate and verify means of overcoming performance difficulties. Based on interviews and discussions with knowledgeable persons, laboratory experiments, and in-mine measurements, it was determined that the major impediment to good carrier phone system performance is the extreme signal attenuation found on the trolley wire/rail largely due to the many bridging loads. Three means are identified to help overcome the performance difficulties: the low impedance trolley wire, a method of improving performance by capacitively loading the transmission line; the dedicated wire, a low-loss means of extending trolley signal coverage; the use of isolators to remove the offending bridging loads at the carrier frequency. Other subjects treated in the report are design reviews of hardware, guidelines for the use of information in the report, recommendations, and a description of a probe for measuring trolley wire current.

Jan 1, 1977

By George L. Gates

[When clays e.re mixe~ "Jith "~later to nake mud fluids f'ol' use in :irilling ','Iells "for oil and gar: h;:r vue :;'0 tary me thee. t 18 liquid mij~ tUl"es have certair.. phypicr..l characteri.",t.ics that vary ",dth t e Qlldlltit.y find]

Jan 1, 1941

By Robert W. Waytulonis

Mining regulations pertaining to the use of diesel engines were solicited from foreign countries with mining operations by the Bureau of Mines. Responses were received from 27 countries; the information received and U.S. regulations were reviewed, and those parts pertaining to the use of diesel engines in underground mining were synopsized according to the following subject categories: types of engines permitted, testing and certification procedures, fuel quality specifications, emission control requirements, procedures and frequency of testing exhaust gases, mine air quality and quantity (ventilation) requirements, procedures for testing mine air quality and quantity, and noise standards. All categories except the types of engines permitted and testing and certification procedures are summarized in tables. Contacts are provided for each country to facilitate inquiries concerning regulation revisions or interpretation.

Jan 1, 1987

By Gordon T. Austin

The combined value of production of natural abrasives, which includes tripoli, special silica stone, garnet, staurolite, and emery, increased about 9% in 1988. In the case of emery, the increase was due to an increase in unit value of the material produced. The increase in the value of garnet and staurolite production was simply the result of an increase in the quantity of materials produced. However, special silica stone experienced both an increase in unit value and quantity produced. The nonmetallic manufactured abrasives industry, which includes only silicon carbide and fused aluminum oxide in the reported statistics, enjoyed the best production year since 1981 in terms of total quantity produced. Production increased 22% in quantity and 16% in value com-pared with those of 1987.

Jan 1, 1990

By A. Brown

This report details work performed and results obtained in a study of the water management aspects of oil shale mining and retorting in the Piceance Creek Basin. Three specific sites were investigated, and optimal water management systems for both conventional and in-situ extraction processes were generated. Water-related legal and environmental constraints on development were identified and the water management schemes were developed in compliance with these regulations. Limitations on shale oil production implied by limited water supplies were evaluated. Potential Basin-wide effects of development were evaluated using a computer model, and mitigation strategies were developed. Recommendations for additional investigation and analyses were presented.

Jan 1, 1977

By Milton H. Fies

To present some idea as to how the Bureau of Mines may most effectively serve mining, it is necessary that we make some resume of its pact accomplishments in order to determine what, if any, changes will be of greatest service to the industry and to the nation. There are a great many times in life when one begins to wonder whether or not Emerson, in his famous epigram about "mousetraps" and "beaten paths" and "final recognition of intrinsic worth", took into account the item of time. The intrinsic value of any movement, of any work, of any accomplishment will ultimately be recognized, of that there is no doubt, but may a man in history has gone to his end in martyrdom because the world was slow in the acknowledgement of the true excellence of his worth, and this is likewise true of institutions.

Jan 1, 1934

By James R. Wait

The present final report constitutes the total productivity of a series of contracts from the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences over the period 1971-1979. The emphasis on the research has been analytical. In this "executive summary" we give a succinct description of each phase of the investigation. In the first phase of the investigation that was stimulated by the National Academy of Engineering, we concentrated on the analytical studies of techniques relevant to mine rescue. Several specific procedures for locating a buried source were analyzed. In the next, but overlapping phase of the investigation, we dealt with the fundemental character of how electromagnetic waves propagate in mine tunnels. At the outset we allowed for the finite conductivity of the tunnel walls and the presence of axial conductors such as cables, pipes, and tracks. The third phase of the investigation was devoted to the analyses of various specific geophysical engineering problems. The related fourth phase dealt with the general subject of non-destructive testing of wire ropes such as used for mine hoists.

Jan 1, 1980

By Don Belsher

Work on contract H0272007 is summarized for the period of 1 February 977 to 1 February 1978. The initial evaluation of two potential systems for the location of well casings, voids, and tunnels in coal are described. The pulse measurement equipment used for the evaluation of the antennas selected possible use with a pulse time domain system and an FM-CW system is described. A TEM horn antenna design potentially suitable for use with these systems is given. An operational comparative analysis between various antenna types is presented.

Jan 1, 1978

By C. G. Maier

The fundamental chemistry of zinc smelting, especially that part dealing with the chemical reduction of the zinc-oxide content of a roasted zinc ore, has been discussed by metallurgists in some detail, but, in the light of present knowledge, unsatisfactorily. A considerable portion of the information available has been qualitative, or quantitative in a sense that could not be interpreted chemically. A number of attempts to elucidate the physical chemistry of zinc oxide reduction have been based upon unsubstantiated and, as is now known, incorrect equilibrium data. To write upon the chemistry of zinc smelting at this time, when electrolytic methods for the production of zinc metal from ore are becoming increasingly widespread, may seem a belated effort. So, for example, C. A. Hansen,3 in the communicated discussion of an article by the author,4 writes as follows:

Jan 1, 1930

By Gordon T. Austin

The combined value of production of natural abrasives, which include tripoli, special silica stone, garnet, staurolite, and emery, increased in 1993. The increase in the value of tripoli production was the result of an increase in total production. Special silica stone experienced an increase in unit value but decrease in the quantity produced. Garnet showed a 19 % decrease in quantity and an 8 % decrease in value. Staurolite increased about 51 % in the quantity produced and 136 % in value compared with those of 1992. Staurolite's significant increase in value of production resulted from a 56 % increase in the unit value. The fused aluminum oxide industry showed an 8 % decrease in the quantity produced and a 13 % decrease in the value of production. The silicon carbide industry saw an 11 % decrease in the quantity produced and an 8 % decrease in the value of production. Combined, the industries decreased 9 % in quantity and 11 % in value compared with those of 1992.

Jan 1, 1993

By R. K. Guthrie, H. B. Hill

"INTRODUCTION The Rodessa oil field in Marion and Cass Counties, Tex., Miller County, Ark., and Caddo Parish, La., was discovered in August 1930, when a well drilled to a depth of 5,506 feet in Caddo Parish, close to the surface trace of the Rodessa fault, produced gas in commercial quantities. During the next 5 years 21 gas wells were drilled, and a large reserve of natural gas was developed in the high part of the Rodessa structure underlying the Massive Anhydrite member of the Glen Rose formation.In July 1935 oil was discovered on the flank of the structure when a well drilled to 6,048 feet also in Caddo Parish, was completed as an oil well. The discovery of oil in the Rodessa structure initiated art intensive development program of more than usual interest to geologists, engineers, and operators in the petroleum and natural-gas industry. The complex nature of the different reservoirs, the large volume of ""free"" gas under high pressures and temperatures in the upper part of the reservoirs, and the high gas:oil ratios of some of the wells during the early production of oil presented many problems the solution of which taxed the ingenuity of those responsible for the development and exploitation of the Rodessa field.Early waste of gas and resultant dissipation of reservoir energy led to State intervention, which brought about effective regulation of the quantity of gas blown to the air. Oil production from wells producing more than 2.000 cubic feet of gas per barrel of oil was restricted, and oil allowables generally were based equally upon acreage and upon reservoir pressures. Consequently, oil-production statistics of the field are closely associated with gas:oil ratios and reservoir pressures.The primary object of this report is to present factual and statistical data on well performance in the Rodessa field and to show established trends under certain operating methods and practices in high-pressure gaseous reservoirs, which have been carefully developed and outlined by modern technique and exploited under close engineering supervision.The large size of the Rodessa field, it’s fairly well defined gas caps, and a somewhat definite water table in a part- of the oil- and gas-producing region are of special interest and importance in a study of the fluid and energy relationships in reservoirs. Consequently, the results of much of the authors' work in collecting and compiling date are presented in the form of tables, maps and cross sections to show the relative thicknesses of the different oil-and gas-producing members and their permeability and porosity relationships, and, when possible, the variations in stratigraphy are exhibited in cross sections. Results of a detailed analysis of cores from a number of wells also are presented in tabular and graphic form."

Aug 1, 1943

By William J. McDonough

Advanced materials are polymers, metals, and ceramics fabricated as intermaterial compounds, alloys, or composites. The resultant components have higher strength-to-density ratios, greater hardness and wear resistance, and one or more superior thermal, electrical, or optical properties when compared with traditional materials. Advanced materials, the basis for many of today's emerging technologies, offer savings in total energy consumption, improved performance at reasonable cost, and less dependence on imports of strategic and critical mineral resources.

Jan 1, 1992

By V. F. Parry, John P. Goodman

"INTRODUCTION Review of Previous Work Many investigators and certain commercial interests have recognized that the briquetting process is a practical method to convert much of what is now considered undesirable fuel into a usable form of domestic fuel.The art of improving the form of solid fuels is ancient, as early records indicate that the Chinese employed crude hand briquetting of combustible materials long before coal was known in Europe and America.According to Franke, 4/ the earliest description of a briquetting proce¬dure employed in the Occident is contained in an English patent dated in 1773. Following this in rapid sequence, many methods and procedures wore developed in this country and in Europe. Stillman/ states that the first attempt to briquet coal in the United States was made by Loiseau 6/ at Fort Richmond Piers, Philadelphia, in 1872. The American briquetting processes outlined by Stillman comprise an imposing compilation of successes and partial and outright failures."

Jun 1, 1943

By Warren Howes, A. B. Campbell, W. H. Ode

"INTRODUCTION The mines in the eastern part of the now active region of the Tri-State zinc district of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma have unusually acid water, which during periods of moderate or no rainfall is used in the mills to replace losses from evaporation, seepage, and tailings disposal. Its use has caused difficulties by corrosion of equipment and by interference with flotation.The growing importance of flotation, which requires good water, and the increasing troubles caused by the corrosion of the milling equipment have prompted the Mississippi Valley Experiment Station of the United States Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Mo., to investigate the action of the waters on flotation and to undertake to develop means of obviating their harmful effects.The work was under the immediate direction of W. T. Schrenk, consulting chemist, United States Bureau of Mines, and professor of chemistry, Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, and Will H. Coghill, supervising engineer of the ore dressing section of the United States Bureau of Mines.ORIGIN OF ACID MINE WATERSRain water, carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide in solution, finds its way into the pores and crevices of the earth's crust and percolates downward through the rocks. This water and its dissolved gases exert a solvent action on many minerals, the extent of which depends upon the nature of the associated minerals.The iron sulphides are the chief sources of the 'trouble with sulphates and sulphuric acid because they oxidize so freely and contain more sulphur than is required to satisfy the iron when ferrous sulphate is formed. Galena and sphalerite may oxidize to sulphates without liberating acid. A few of the common reactions occurring in the Tri-State mine waters may be illustrated by the following equations:"

Mar 1, 1932

By E. P. Youngman

This paper is one of a series of digests of foreign mining legislation and court decisions that is being prepared in advance of a general report relative to the right of American citizens to explore for minerals and to own and operate mines in various foreign countries. This interpretation of the mining laws of British Honduras has been prepared from the best available information in Washington and is released subject to amplification or correction, if necessary, by United States foreign-service officers. INTRODUCTION The mining law governing all mineral substances other than oil is ordinance No. 7 of 1927 (Minerals Ordinance, 1927), passed by the Legislative Council on March 25, 1927. The accompanying regulations, No. 3 of 1932 (General Minerals Regulations, 1932), made under the authority of section 66 of the minerals ordinance, were made by the Governor in Council on December 23, 1931.

Jan 1, 1934

By A. J. Williams, R. B. Corbett

"INTRODUCTION This investigation was undertaken to obtain information concerning the effects of boron in steel and its method of addition, so that boron, which is readily obtainable domestically, may be used to relieve the great demand for those scarce, strategic, alloying elements that hitherto have been considered necessary for the successful manufacture of quality steel.Previous Work Guillet 4/ seems to have been the first to predict that boron-bearing steel might have a possible industrial use when, in 1907, he published results of an investigation into the properties of steel containing 0.21 to 1.51 percent boron.Possibly Walter 2/ was the first to appreciate the fact that extremely small percentages of boron are effective in improving the properties of a steel. His patent, issued in 1924 claimed steels containing boron within the limits of 0.001 to 0.100 percent; furthermore, the specifications disclosed that boron increased the hardenability of steel and refined its grain structure. In 1937, Naton and Piwowarsky 6/ otherwise observed that boron increased the hardenablity of steel."

Jun 1, 1945

By Theron A. Klinefelter, Sidney Speil, Sidney Gottlied

"INTRODUCTION The investigation of domestic talcs by the United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Mines, was initiated in December 1941 at the request Gen. Charles Hines of the United States Army. The urgency for such study was expressed by General Hines as follows:The radio-manufacturing industry has recently been expanded by the Army to provide sufficient, capacity for defense needs, and considerable concern has been expressed by the supply Arms and Services over maintaining continued availability of supplies of the necessary raw material. These ceramic products are used by the Signal Cores in all Army radio equipment, and to a greater degree in the new special ultra-high-frequency equipment. The Air Corps has recently become a user large amounts of radio-grade ceramics for aircraft spark-plug covers required for high-altitude operations. In addition, the use of this material is essential to the proper functioning of the radio-navigation aids of the Civil Aeronautics Board.Progress in the Bureau of Mines studies on talc was made available to representatives of the Army and Navy through frequent interim reports. Through the efforts of the several war agencies concerned with raw-materials supply and the domestic talc producers, the condition of scarcity that developed in 1942 passed to one of ease in 1943, and has so continued to date. Tentative estimate of reserves delineated indicates a supply of high-grade steatite sufficient to meet military war requirements for at least 4 or 5 years."

Apr 1, 1945

By Charles W. Merrill

THE INDUSTRIAL strength and the security of the United States require an adequate, dependable, and continuing supply of raw materials, of which minerals constitute an indispensable segment. With an expanding population, a rising standard of living, and the instability inherent in a constantly changing international situation, the mineral supply outlook is a major national concern. Structures, roads, and machines are built largely of mineral products; the energy to heat the structures and to power the machines is derived mostly from minerals; agricultural out-put is sustained with the aid of mineral fertilizers; and the Nation's economic and military security both are founded ultimately on its ability to obtain and utilize essential metals, nonmetals, and mineral fuels.

Jan 1, 1965

By F. Fraas

ELECTROSTATIC methods are used to separate and concentrate or purify granular particles derived from ores or various synthetic and agricultural products. Compared with other separation methods that require many technological refinements, the electrostatic attraction of fibers, grass, and seeds to charged surfaces clan be accomplished under the most primitive circumstances, and the early development of this method of beneficiation seemed very promising. Precise application of the method to provide high selectivity, however, is a complex procedure, and interest in this method declined. During this period Mr. O. C. Ralston initiated a Bureau of Mines research program oil electrostatic separation. It is the purpose of thins publication to describe the development of the electrostatic method of particle separation from the early beginning to the present resurgence of interest. Most of the information for this description bas been derived from references, a few of which were not available for thorough review. Much information has been drawn from the investitions of the Bureau. Acknowledgments Mr. O. C. Ralston, former Chief metallurgist of the Bureau of Mines, began the research program on the subject and did research on the mils literature. Both Mr. Ralston and Mr. H. B. Johnson, former president of the Huff Electrostatic Separator Co., furnished patent references. A critical review by Mr. F. D. Lamb, Research director, and Mr. M. J. Spendlove, Supervisory metallurgist, Bureau of Mines, College Park Metallurgy Research Center, lifts been of much value in preparing this report.

Jan 1, 1962