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By D. Harrington

Near the close of the nineteenth century electricity was introduced underground, and the mining industry automatically was confronted with another potential source of fatalities and injuries to mine workers. Electricity has become an increasingly vital factor in the production of goal, particularly in recent years, because of the greatly extended mechanization that has taken place underground. The enlarged use of electrical equipment for cutting, loading, and hauling coal unquestionably increased the potentiality of shock and explosion hazards underground. Electricity may be used in coal mines with minimum danger if electric equipment and power-carrying wires are chosen properly and installed and kept protected by proper safeguards; on the other hand, if vigilance is relaxed in the slightest degree accidents may result. Electrical accidents are caused chiefly by direct contact with electrical equipment or power-carrying wires, by ignition of explosive gas or dust, and by fires of electrical origin. Electricity now ranks fourth as a cause of coal-mine fatalities, not including deaths from explosions or fires of electrical origin.

Jan 1, 1936

By Oliver C. Ralston

[This paper is an expanded revision of a report entitled "Froth Flotation and Agglomerate Tabling of Nonmetallic Minerals, " published in Transactions of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (vol. 40, November 1937, pp- 691-726) and prepared a year previously. Revisions embodied herein brine the data up to January 1, 1938. References have also been added to make the earlier paper more complete for the period it covered.]

Jan 1, 1938

By D. Harrington

Although for many years considerable attention has been given to devising safe and efficient methods of using explosives, with some success, relatively little has been done to provide satisfactory storage facilities for them. This was known long before the present war began, but it was emphasized during the past 30 months? inspections of explosive magazines by employees of the Bureau of Mines in administration of the Federal Explosives Act of December 26, 1941. These inspections have revealed woeful in adequacy as well as definite hazards and the urgent need for obtaining better storage facilities either by remodeling old magazines or constructing ink new ones that would afford suitable protection for the contents against theft, fire, deterioration, and detonation. The purpose of this paper is to offer suggestions and to show by sketches and drawings some of the fundamental features of suitable magazines. Type of construction and available materials differ with different; localities, but the information herein contained can be applied to most magazines, whether already constructed or the construct: on of which is planned. It is hoped that this information will be helpful and will aid persons who are trying to provide suitable storage for explosives end detonators. It is also hoped that States and cities will be made aware of the unbelievable laxity practiced in storing explosives in the United States and will take some remedial action.

Jan 1, 1945

By Walter R. Storms

This paper , which describes the mining methods and costs at the Atwood copper mine in the Lordsburg ( Virginia ) Mining District of Hidalgo County , N. Mex . , is one of a series being prepared by the Mining Division of the Bureau of Mines on mining practices , methods , and costs in various mining districts of the United States . The mine and surface plant are situated in the west half of sec . 7 , T. 23 S. , R. 18 W. , about 3 miles by road southwest of the center of Lordsburg , near the old abandoned townsite of Valedon ( see fig . 1 ) . The main line of the Southern Pacific Railroad passes through Lordsburg , as does the paved eastwest U. S. Highway 70-80 . A spur line of the Southern Pacific ends near the mine . A good graded road connects the mine with Lordsburg . The following pages present a brief history of the district , describe the geology , and outline methods of prospecting and exploration, including sampling and estimations of tonnages and values . Development, and mining methods are explained , and transportation , ventilation , drainage ,. safety measures , and organization are described . The wage scale and costs of development and mining comprise the corrcluding sections of this circular .

May 1, 1949

By Graham W. Marks

Recently it was shown the total energy method of spectrochemical analysis is suitable for the quantitative estimation of many of the elements of which ores are composed. It was shown how this method can be applied to the determination of germanium, tin, and lead. Continuing, this work, the present report deals with analyses for beryllium, zinc, cadmium; and indium. There are three basic problems in these investigations. The first is to study the influence of those elements that make up the greater part of an ore sample on the spectral-line intensities of the elements for which analyses are being made, the latter generally being the minor constituents. The second is to develop proper methods for the preparation of standard spectrographic curves. Finally, we are concerned with improvement in equipment and procedure, so that greater accuracy can be achieved. As discussed previously, it is better to study as groups those elements that belong to the same group in the periodic table because their spectra are similar. Beryllium, zinc, and cadmium are thus related. Indium was included in this work because it is, associated with zinc and cadmium in zinc ores.

Jan 1, 1948

By J. A. Sutton

In connection with, a stream-pollution-research project, a colorimetric method was developed for concentrations of 1 to 30 p.p.m, of pine oil in water. The method depends on the stable bluish-green color produced when pine oil is reacted with vanillin-hydrochloric acid reagent at 60° C. for 25 minutes. The colorimetric reaction actually determines alphaterpineol, the principal component in pine oil. Some waters may require a special preparation in which ion-exchange resins are used to remove interference. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express his appreciation to A. A. Berk, chief of the Industrial Water Branch, Bureau of Mines, for helpful advice and encouragement during the progress of this work and to B. P. Martinez, chief of the Stream Pollution Research Section, for assistance with the manuscript. Thanks are also due to W. D. Bishop of the Hercules Powder Co., Wilmington, Del., for supplying the principal components of pine oil.

Jan 1, 1953

By G. L. Oldright

The Metallurgical Branch of the Bureau of Mines, as a part of its duties under the Organic Act, works to prevent wastes in industry and to disuse inmate information on the fundamentals of metallurgical processes. During the war, the necessity of large production was increasingly emphasized. Such duties necessitate from time to time the study of units of full commercial size, the operation of which is beyond the facilities of the Branch. When developments have reached this stage; work has been continued in cooperative agreements with operating companies that have been willing to contribute the use of their plants and staffs and to allow the publication of the results obtained for the common good of the industry.

Jan 1, 1948

By Raymond B. Ladoo

"The recent discovery and exploitation of petroleum territory have resulted in the enactment of new petroleum laws in most of the South American Republics. The activities in the discovery of these new fields were engendered by the knowledge of the fact that present producing fields must within well defined periods be exhausted. Oil operators were willing to take the initial steps in exploitation in the absence of legislation that applied strictly to petroleum operations. The enactment of modern legislation in many of these Republics encouraging and protect¬ing exploitations may cause tremendous oil activities in these countries, and the results may be comparable with the magnitude of the undertakings and the prestige of the companies now entering this territory.These, oil fields are admirably located for convenient distribution of petroleum by water to all the Nations using oil as fuel for shipping and industrial concerns. The oil markets of the western coast of South America will derive immense benefits from the Panama Canal. This navigation route brings these markets into direct ocean shipment with the Atlantic coasts of the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.One deterrent to oil production in the Republics of South America is the want of inland. transportation facilities, but the recent laws of these Republics without exception provide for acquiring rights of way for pipe lines and other modes of transportation; and doubtless the great interests and. syndicates already operating in these regions will, as production increases, provide ample pipe line transportation sufficient to convey to the coast the oil produced. It way be assumed, from the legal guarantees afforded, and from operating equipment and machinery that are now being concentrated that refineries will be erected at shipping points for the purpose of making these petroleum products accessible to the world."

May 1, 1921

Martin Marietta Aluminum, Inc. followed Howmet Aluminum Corp., Revere Copper and Brass, Inc. and Anaconda Co. in lifting August prices of 99.5 percent unalloyed aluminum ingot by 3 cents to 56 cents per pound. Prior to these moves, Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. raised its June ingot listings by 4 cents to 57 cents and Consolidated Aluminum Corp., 4.5 cents to 57.5 cents. Domestic merchants increased July quotes by slightly more than 1 cent to 51.3-51.8 cents per pound. ARSENIC The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued new standards, effective August 1, for worker exposure to inorganic arsenic, a toxic substance linked by OSHA to lung and lymphatic cancer. The new standard will limit worker exposure to 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an 8-hour period, a drastic reduction from the previous standard of 500 micrograms for a like period. Implementation of the new standards may be the most difficult and costly for copper smelters where arsenic is associated with the copper feed material but problems will also be encountered by producers of arsenic containing products such as for pesticides and herbicides. The new standards allow use of personal protective gear for workers as an interim measure until plant engineering controls can be put into effect.

Jan 1, 1978

By B. J. Moore

This publication contains routine analyses and related source data for 547 natural gas samples from 22 States and three foreign countries. Of this total, 340 samples were collected during calendar year 1967. The remaining 207 analyses are of samples collected during previous years, but releases granting, permission to publish the results were not received until 1967. All samples were collected as a part of a continuous survey of the free world for occurrences of helium in natural gas. The Bureau of Mines has conducted this survey in the United States since 1917, and in 1965 it was expanded to include foreign gasfields. The analyses published herein were made by mass spectrometer and a special helium analysis apparatus which are described in Bureau of Mines Bulletins 4863 and 516.4 Nine previous publications have been made to present results of 7,618 gas analyses made by the Bureau of Mines Helium Activity prior to 1967. The first three, Bulletins 486,5 576,6 and 6177 contain analyses and related source data on 5,218 gas samples collected from 1917 through 1960. The other six

Jan 1, 1968

By Paul Hatmaker

This paper covers briefly the particular field of dolomite and magnesium limestone; certain uses of high-calcium limestone are mentioned only to show more clearly the limita¬ tions of the magnesian rocks. Such a comparison is helpful because magnesium carbonate is essential for some uses; for others it is immaterial; and for many its presence in an appreciable amount is objectionable. Magnesium carbonate, occurring as a rock resembling limestone or dolomite, is described in United States Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6437, Magnesite. Other com¬ pounds of magnesium are described in United States Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6406, Magnesium Compounds (Other Than Magnesite). Limestone, geologically, is a rock composed essentially of calcium carbonate; commercially, however, the term may include dolomite and magnesium limestone.

Sep 1, 1931

By Walter Kawa

Coals of various rank were reacted by the Bureau of Nines in plasma jets generated from argon and argon-hydrogen mixtures containing up to 33 volume-percent hydrogen. Average plasma temperatures ranged from about 3,400° to 12,000° C. Products were a solid residue and a gas containing hydrogen, methane, acetylene, diacetylene, and oxides of carbon. The highest yield of acetylene obtained with argon plasmas was 15 percent by weight of moisture- and ash-free coal. The data indicated that acetylene yields of 40 percent or higher can be obtained from the reaction of coal in argon-hydrogen plasmas, although results from these experiments could not be correlated with operating variables because of low recoveries plasma contained sufficient energy to heat the coal to temperatures as high 9,000 or 10,000° C, but complete devolatilization did not occur in any experiment.

Jan 1, 1966

By Donald J. Barnes

Gold was found in samples collected from Pleistocene and Holocene stream and terrace deposits. Approximately 15,000 cu yd (11,400 cu m) of small and discontinuous terrace and stream gravel deposits in the study area are composed of material derived from sedimentary and granitic rocks. The detritus is subangular to subrounded, and poorly sorted, ranging from boulder to sand size. Gold values in samples collected averaged 8.2 cents per cu yd (gold value of $500 per oz). Pan concentrates and rock chip samples collected from reported mineralized zones showed an absence of economic minerals. Stream placer deposits are uneconomic. No potential was observed for metallic or nonmetallic minerals in the La Panza study area. No potential exists for gas, oil, or coal resources.

Jan 1, 1981

By A. F. Robertson

"INTRODUCTION This report is supplemental to R.I. 4178 and deals with the work accomplished between June 15, 1945, and September 7, 1945, on the Mitchell-Hodge mine, Grady mine, Albea and York property, and Cuzzort property.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIn its program or exploration of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective the 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 exploratory project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Branch, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts preliminary examinations, performs the actual exploratory work, and prepares the final report. The Metallurigcal Branch, O. C. Ralston, chief, analyzes samples and performs benefication tests.Acknowledgment is due Mitchell H. Kline, chief, Raleigh Division, Mining Branch; Abraham L. Fox, acting chief, Raleigh Division, Metallurgical Branch; and Rowe McCrae, district engineers, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Gainesville,"

Jan 1, 1946

By E. Morrice

The metallurgical laboratory data developed in this study indicate an improved electrowinning process for producing higher purity cerium ingot. A typical sample of the Reno electrocerium contains 99.9 weight-percent cerium and the following impurities: Total other rare-earth elements, less than 0.04 percent; iron not detected; silicon and aluminum, less than 0.02 percent each; calcium plus magnesium, less than 0.01 percent; carbon, 0.01 percent; oxygen, 0.002 percent; hydrogen, 0.0003 percent; and nitrogen, 0.0015 percent.

Jan 1, 1960

Crystalline silica is the scientific name for a group of minerals composed of silicon and oxygen. The term crystalline refers to the fact that the oxygen and silicon atoms are arranged in a three-dimensional repeating pattern. This group of minerals has shaped human history since the beginning of civilization. From the sand used for making glass to the piezoelectric quartz crystals used in advanced communication systems, crystalline silica has been a part of our technological development. Crystalline silica's pervasiveness in our technology is matched only by its abundance in nature. It's found in samples from every geologic era and from every location around the globe. Scientists have known for decades that prolonged and excessive exposure to crystalline silica dust in mining environments can cause silicosis, a noncancerous lung disease. During the 1980's, studies were conducted that suggested that crystalline silica also was a carcinogen. As a result of these findings, crystalline silica has been regulated under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). Under HCS, OSHA regulated businesses that use materials containing 0.1 or more crystalline silica must follow Federal guidelines concerning hazard communication and worker training. Although the HCS does not require that samples be analyzed for crystalline silica, mineral suppliers or OSHA-regulated businesses may choose to do so if they wish to show that they are exempt from the requirements of HCS. Because crystalline silica is an extremely common mineral and the HCS will affect many mineral commodities, it is important then, that there be as clear an understanding as possible of what is and what is not crystalline silica, and where it is found and used, and how it is qualitatively and quantitatively identified. This primer is an attempt to accomplish this in as nontechnical a manner as possible. This primer will examine crystalline silica. Part I will describe, in nonscientific terms, what crystalline silica is and how we come in contact with it. Part" will discuss the regulatory decisions that have created new interest in this ancient and widespread substance and will present a nontechnical overview of the techniques used to measure crystalline silica. Because this primer is meant to be a starting point for anyone interested in learning more about crystalline silica, a list of selected readings and other resources is included. The detailed glossary, which defines many terms that are beyond the scope of this publication, is designed to help the reader move from this presentation to a more technical one, the inevitable next step.

Jan 1, 1992

By M. Mentser

The exchange of oxygen between carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that occurs reversibly on carbon surfaces was studied at temperatures of 750° to 850°C and a pressure of 1 atmosphere. Carbon-14 was used to detect and measure the exchange reaction. The extent of oxygen exchange was a linear function of com- position of the gas mixture, and this relationship was used to evaluate the forward and backward rate constants of the reaction. Equilibrium constants, directly determined for oxygen exchange in this study, agreed well with values in the literature that were derived only by indirect procedures. This result establishes the validity of oxygen exchange in the mechanism of carbon gasification by CO2. Rates of carbon gasification were less than an order of magnitude slower than rates of oxygen exchange. Activation energies for these two processes were 58 and 53 kcal/mole, respectively. The closeness in the activation energies argues against any change in the rate-controlling step over a wide temperature span at atmospheric pressure. The role of CO as a retardant on the CO2-C reaction, and the nature of the carbon-oxygen complex are also discussed in view of the data obtained.

Jan 1, 1973

By Albert L. Toenges

This circular deals primarily with the various methods of longwall mining used in some mines in certain districts of the Middle Western States. In some instances underground methods were considered comprehensively, and in others only the actual methods of mining and face advance were noted. Results obtained by the mines in output per man were compared only on the basis of an operating day, since idle time and number of men employed would not, be comparable due to the great difference between mines in different districts. Man-hours per ton per operating day are noted in a general way. Material and power costs are not included. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The information used in preparing this paper was obtained through the courtesy and cooperation of the presidents and other officials of the comparnies operating the mines described. The approval of the executive of each property was obtained for publishing this manuscript, and the accuracy was checked.

Jan 1, 1936

By Almon F. Robertson

This is one of a series of reports describing investigations made within the Missouri River Basin in Montana by mining engineers of the Bureau of Mines, Minerals Division, Region II. The primary purpose of these investigations is to provide basic information to agencies of the Department of the Interior and other agencies concerned with the planning of power and other water developments in the Missouri River Basin. This report contains only such factual data as have been authorized for public distribution. Special precautions have been taken not to reveal any information or data considered to be confidential. The field investigations for this report were made during the fall of 1948 and the summer of 1949. Virtually all of the known metallic mineral deposits and some nonmetallic (industrial) mineral deposits within Judith Basin County were investigated. Most of the mines and prospects have been inactive for many years; most of the old underground mine workings now are inaccessible or only partly accessible. Consequently, much of the information on many of the mines and prospects necessarily has been obtained from available U. S. Government and State publications and from owners and local residents.

Jan 1, 1951

By Donald A. Voigt

This publication is intended as a guide for persons responsible for obtaining classifications and approvals Tor explosive compounds, mixtures, or devices from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). It deals with the procedures for obtaining a recommendation for classification of an explosive compound, mixture, or device through the Bureau of Mines. Completion of the procedures detailed in this guide is necessary to obtain a final classification of an explosive compound, mixture, or device and assignment of an "EX" number by DOT, which will allow the producer to offer the explosive for shipment within the United States. This guide also gives procedures for obtaining United Nations (U.N.) classification for shipping outside the United States.

Jan 1, 1990