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By Harold M. Smith

This report presents a complete qualitative picture of knowledge of the composition of petroleum as of April 1965. The material is presented in detail on two imaginative maps--one, the Hydrocarbon Hemisphere, depicts the hydrocarbons that have been identified in petroleum; the other, the Heterogeneous Hemisphere, shows the sulfur, nitrogen, and oxygen compounds that have been found. All compounds are placed on the maps according to boiling point. The accompanying text illustrates by structural formulas the several types of hydrocarbon and nonhydrocarbon compounds identified, presents some quantitative data, and points out the possible geochemical significance of a number of the compounds. The possibilities of the Petroleum World of the future are discussed as a function of needed research,

Jan 1, 1966

To improve a miner's chances for survival in an emergency by providing an improved self-rescuer device that functions in a toxic or oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The Approach: Development of a compact, lightweight apparatus which produces oxygen by using the wearer's breath in a chemical reaction. How It Works: The device is designed to cause the user's breath, which contains water vapor and carbon dioxide, to react with potassium superoxide (K02) to produce oxygen in quantities sufficient to sustain the wearer for one hour. The system is a closed circuit and does not depend on "screening" of noxious gases. To use the device, the miner opens the top and

Jan 1, 1974

By H. R. Beard

The Bureau of Mines investigated the absorption of radium and thorium from waste uranium leach liquor by clays and other materials. This work was conducted in support of the Bureau's goal of minimizing the environmental conflicts, impacts, and occupational hazards associated with mining and milling operations. Tailing and soil samples from New Mexico were evaluated for their potential to absorb radium and thorium from tailing liquors. Absorption ranged from 0 to 97 pct for radium and 0 to 60 pct for thorium. Some samples that readily absorbed radium were contacted with various salt solutions that could be present in tailing solutions to determine whether desorption would be a potential problem. The desorption of radium ranged from 0 to 75 pct. An alpha spectrometric method was used to determine the radium and thorium concentrations in the solutions and solids.

Jan 1, 1980

By R. V. Ramani, R. Bhaskar

"The National Academy of Sciences (1) recognized the importance of studying the spatial and temporal characteristics of respirable coal mine dust atmospheres. In this paper, the progress to date of a research project on dust transportation and deposition in mine airways is presented. A mathematical model is proposed for studying the transport of dust. A source representative of dust generation in underground coal mining is defined. The influence and applicability of surface roughness, dispersivities, coagulation and reentrainment to vine dust flow arc examined. A convective-diffusion model is proposed for the transport and deposition of dust in mine airways. Using the model, the spatial and temporal characteristics can be evaluated in terms of dust concentrations in the mine atmospheres.INTRODUCTIONThe prediction of the behavior of fine particles Is Important in many fields of science and engi¬neering including physics, chemistry, mining, mineral processing, and atmospheric science. In mining from the health point of view, fine coal dust is associated with the appearance of pneumoconiosis in miners exposed to the dust. Also, in addition to being a nuisance factor obscuring visibility and general mobility of miners, it can lead to sudden catastrophic incidences of explosions. This paper outlines the progress to date of a research project on dust transportation and deposition in mine airways. A mathematical model is proposed for studying the transport of dust for the various mechanisms. The dust dispersion is defined in terms of a dispersion term determined from experimental data by Skubunov (23). Coagulation is considered as one of the mechanisms that can lead to changes in the particle size distribution. Reentrainment as a possible secondary source of dust was examined during model development but was not included in the final model."

Jan 1, 1988

By G. W. Jones, R. E. Kennedy

"INTRODUCTION In the manufacture, storage, transportation, and use of combustible gases and vapors, explosion hazards, which at times may be present when air becomes mixed with the gases and vapors, become of primary importance. Such conditions are especially dangerous where large volumes of gaseous atmosphere are involved, because an explosion under such circumstances is capable of doing tremendous damage to both property and personnel.Because of its interest in safety in the mining and allied industries, the Federal Bureau of Mines has investigated, and published results dealing with, the explosibility of various types of combutible atmospheres. The explosion hazards of natural gases have received attention, and results giving the limits of inflammability and ignition temperatures in air have been determined and published. 4/ Other investigations have shown how explosions of natural gas-air mixtures may be prevented by the addition of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. 5/Because of the increased demand for crude oil for war purposes, the application of secondary-recovery methods of stimulating oil production have received considerable attention during the last few years. The process consists in the injection of natural gas into partly depleted oil wells to cause the oil in the sands to flow into producing wells and so increase the amount of recoverable oil. 6/"

Feb 1, 1945

By A. B. Coates, J. E. Crawshaw

"The use of such methods and apparatus as the Dautriche method and the Mettegang recorder for the determination of the rate of burning of black blasting powder and other strictly burning explosives has been found to give such erratic results that no reliance can be placed on the data thus obtained. Consequently, investigators of those factors which may affect the burning rate, such as size of grain, absolute density, chemical composition, and means of ignition have had to rely mainly on observations made during practical use for determination of the part played by each. Such tests are very difficult of interpretation.The purpose of this paper is to describe a method used by the explosives division of the Bureau of Mines for the investigation of such explosives and to present the results of an investigation using that method.The investigation was concerned with the effect of grain size, initial pressure, and means of ignition on the rate of burning or rate of pressure development of black blasting powder as compared with pellet powder.The Bichel pressure gauge was used for these tests, with the slight modification to the apparatus and method described in U. S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 15.4 These modifications consisted of reducing the speed of the revolving drum on which the time-pressure record is taken, measuring the speed of the drum by a belt-driven tachometer, and introducing an induction coil in series with the electric squib or electric detonator to mark on the time pressure record the instant at which the squib or detonator was fired."

May 1, 1929

By H. P. Hamlin, W. A. Grosh

Samples of clays , shales , and argillites from 21 locations were subjected to preliminary bench- scale tests for bloating properties , and several samples were tested for ceramic properties . Samples showing favorable bloating properties were further tested in a pilot - plant - scale rotary kiln . Physical characteristics and concrete -making properties of the bloated products were determined . The Decorah shale from one area made a suitable material for a lightweight aggregate ; however , the limestone layers in the formation must be eliminated or the resulting activated lime must be controlled by quenching .

Jan 1, 1963

By Robert H. Bedford

As a result of the Bureau's general survey of quicksilver deposits in California, the Guadalupe mine area was among those chosen for exploration. Exploration, such as that at the Guadalupe, was aimed primarily at maintaining or increasing production of quicksilver during the critical wartime period. The project as originally planned contemplated sampling the dumps and prospecting some promising surface exposures by bulldozer trenches. Salvage was the objective in the first case and new ore in the second. Later, a program. of diamond drilling was added, designed to add both to ore reserves and to geological information. This report summarizes the history, notes the location and physical features, mentions property and ownership, and presents a brief description of the mine. The geology is outlined, and the work done by the Bureau of Mines is explained and supplemented with accompanying maps. The work involved repairing 1-1/4 miles of roads; bulldozing 13 trenches by removing 2,345 cubic yards of dumps to provide for sampling; digging and sampling 9,284 linear feet of hand trenches, digging and sampling numerous test pits; and drilling 7 diamond-drill holes, totaling 1,000 feet. A total of 419 samples, including 10 percent check samples, were taken. Exploration work in California at the time of this project was under the direction of Spangler Ricker, supervising engineer of the California field office, the late Robert Bedford was in charge of the fieldwork on this project.

Jan 1, 1950

By Farrel W. Lytle

Instrumental analysis has become an indispensable tool in research and production of the rare-earth elements. This development can be attributed mainly to a combination of two factors--the marked chemical similarity of the rare-earth elements, which excludes classical methods of analysis, and the speed and accuracy of instrumental-analysis techniques. With continued improvements in methods of producing high-purity rare-earth elements, keeping pace instrumentally is becoming much more difficult. Accordingly, greater emphasis is being placed on improving instrumental limits of detection and accuracy. The methods employed most frequently for determining impurities in rare-earth elements involve use of the optical-emission spectrograph (3, 4)4/ and the spectrophotometer (9). Although numerous X-ray-emission spectrographic methods (6-8) have been developed for analyzing rare earths, these techniques have not included detection of low-level impurities. This investigation was conducted to find the precision and accuracy of X-ray fluorescence in deter-mining impurities in rare-earth oxides in the 0.01-to 1.0-percent-concentration range.

Jan 1, 1959

By W. E. Brown, P. R. Porath, V. Miller, C. E. Wood, C. Prasky, E. P. Barrett

"INTRODUCTION This investigation was a part at the Bureau of Mines program for the production of critical and essential materials needed for the war.The Boykin Committee for investigating the steel shortage aided in obtaining an appropriation to be expended by the Bureau of Mines in studying the utilization of North Dakota lignite in the manufacture of hydrogen that could be used in the production of sponge iron from low grade ores of Minnesota.OBJECT OF INVESTIGATIONThe investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Mines to ""determine the workability of the proposed bubble-hearth process and its possible use in connection with an experimental plant for the gasification of lignite being operated by the Coal Division of the Bureau of Mines at Grand Forks, North Dakota.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThis report is one of many on various aspects of the Bureau of Mines program directed toward the more effective utilization of our mineral resources.Investigations of our mineral resources are conducted by the Mining Branch, L. B. Moon, chief, and by the Metallurgical Branch, O. C. Ralston, chief.The scope of the report falls in the province of the Metallurgical Branch, whose activities embrace the separation of difficulty beneficiated ores, the production of pure metals from domestic deposits, the exploration of marginal ore reserves, the recovery of secondary metals, and the improvement of present industrial metallurgical practice."

Jun 1, 1947

By W. W. Adams

In mining coal, the Nation's principal mineral fuel, loss of life has been much lower recently than in earlier years when coal mining contributed so heavily to the industrial-accident death toll in the United States. Particularly notable has been the relatively small number of deaths during the past few years compared with the number that occurred 20 or 30 years ago. Reports received by the United States Bureau of Mines, covering all commercially operated mines that were active during all or any part of the calendar year 1935, showed that accidents during that year had resulted in the loss of 1,242 lives. This death toll, although regrettable, represents a material improvement over the industry's experience during most years prior to 1935, and especially over the industry's worst year, 1907, when 3,242 men were killed. Fewer lives were lost in 1933, when 1,064 men were killed at work, than during any year for which complete figures are available.

Jan 1, 1938

By Oliver Bowles

"Conservation of slateWaste slate is a problem of outstanding importance in the slate industry, for a very large proportion of all slate quarried is thrown on the waste heap. While many uses for waste slate have been found, the demand calls for merely a fraction of the present supply of unused material. If the slate industry is to increase in prosperity, the producer's energy must be directed toward the development of ways and means of reducing waste to the lowest possible point. The Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior has devoted much study to this problem and a recent bulletin ** contains a detailed discussion of the waste problem.Attention has recently been directed toward an improved method of cutting slate in quarries, a method that promises to reduce greatly the percentage of waste material. The method has been introduced since that bulletin was published, and this supplementary paper covers the details of the process.A reversion in method,In connection with this new mode of operation history is repeating itself in a very interesting way, for the old quarry bar used years ago with steam drills, and later discarded in favor of the channeling machine .and the hammer drill, has been salvaged from the scrap heap, and again put to active use. The occasion for its employment is an attempt to improve quarry methods by the substitution of drilling for channeling or blasting."

Oct 1, 1923

By C. M. Dice

This paper is one of a series being published by the Bureau of Mines on milling methods and costs. It describes briefly the procedure followed in concentrating hübnerite or? at the Ima tungsten mine, Lemhi County, Idaho. In October 1911 the Ima mill was utilizing combined gravity-concentration, flotation, and magnetic-separation units for the recovery of a tungsten concentrate and a pyritic silver concentrate approximately 120 tons of ore averaging 0.5 percent W03 is treated daily. The concentrates produced average 66 to 67 percent WO3.

Jan 1, 1943

By O. C. Blade

Consumption of Diesel fuel oil in the United States has increased very rapidly during recent years. At the present time approximately 5 percent of the crude oil refined in this country is said to be processed for this purpose. This figure represents approximately 20 percent of the total distillate-type fuel oils now being produced in the United States. One factor contributing greatly to the recent increase in consumption of Diesel fuel oil has been the conversion from steam locomotives to Diesel engines by a number of railroads. Other contributing factors are greFl.ter use of Diesel engine8 in buses, trucks, tractors, water craft, and stationary power plants. The growing importance of Diesel fuel oil has resulted in a need by the petroleum industry, engine manufacturers, and consumers for more information regarding the types and quality of Diesel fuels currently being marketed. To supply this information, the American Petroleum Institute and the Bureau of Mines, United states Department of the Interior, under a cooperative agreement, have conducted a survey of Diesel fuel all produced in refineries in this country during 1950. Under the agreements, samples of Diesel fuel oil, representative of actual shipments, were analyzed by the manufacturers in accordance with instructions issued by the Fuel Survey Panel of the Automotive Research Committee of the American Petroleum Institute. Results of the analyses were transmitted to the Bureau of Mines, and that agency has studied the data and compiled them by groups in comparable form as shown in the tables of this report.

Jan 1, 1950

By Raja V. Ramani, Robert L. Frantz

"The House/Senate Joint Conference Committee has instructed the Bureau of Mines to have the Advisory Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research review on an annual and simultaneous basis each generic mineral technology research center (GMTC). In order to accomplish that review promptly and uniformly, committee members have revised and approved an in-depth questionnaire. That document formed the basis of their review. The information provided by that questionnaire was an important factor in their recommendations concerning the future direction of the program; a presentation was made at the last National Plan Update.The comprehensive nature of the questionnaire and the scope of the information contained therein make it an excellent retrospective of the Center. Having a clear vision of where the Center has been and knowing where it is now will help guide it into the future. It is felt that such a detailed view of the Center's facilities and research program will be of value to Center personnel and Advisory Committee members.Each aspect of the questionnaire has been examined, answered in detail, and documented throughly. With the completed questionnaire as a guide, this volume examines the research program, Center personnel presently active on GMTC projects, number of graduate degrees granted with GMTC support, GMTC publications, degree of individual interaction, technology transfer, the reference center, GMTC equipment and facilities, and any envisioned plans for future research. It is hoped that this volume will serve as a review of the years 1984-1988, the first four years of the Center's operation."

Aug 31, 1989

To provide a means for rapidly evaluating proposed mine layouts in order to avoid potential hazards while minimizing loss of coal. The Approach: Development of a computer program that will compute many possible mine layouts by changing the mine plan until the arrangement giving minimal hazards with optimum extraction is found. How It Works: The Hazard Evasion Program for Mine Planning, developed by the Bureau's Denver (Colo.) Mining Research Center, tests hundreds of possible solutions to a mining layout, and by sorting out the 10 best (based on the criteria of maximum safety for workers with minimum abandoned coal), limits the number of choices that need to be considered and appraised for applicability to a given mine scheme. The program is applicable for room and pillar or longwall mining, for oil and gas well hazards, and for other hazards that can be described mathematically such as channel sands, potential bad roof areas, faulting, voids, or water pockets.

Jan 1, 1974

By Rexford D. Singer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current literature on the use of calcium chloride and ligninsulfonates as dust suppressants with respect to potential adverse effects on health or the environment. Calcium chloride poses little internal hazard to man and animals, but toxicity to vegetation in and around the area of application should be expected. The effects, however, should be considerably less than those observed from using calcium chloride as a road deicer. Except for trout, ligninsulfonates seem to pose little direct systemic toxicity problems in aquatic organisms, animals and man or any problem with local vegetation. Because of a greater volume of information on its use and effects, calcium chloride is recommended over ligninsulfonates.

Jan 1, 1982

By H. R. Shell

Of three known compounds in the ternary system K20 - PbO - SiO2, one having the composition K2Pb4Si8021 crystallizes into a structure with asbestiform properties. This compound, whose silicon-oxygen ratio is between that of the layer silicates (for example, mica) and the double-chain amphiboles, crystallizes in the tetragonal system. It malts, apparently congruently, at 779° C. The fiberized product prepared from crystals is fluffy and closely resembles natural asbestos in appearance, but is more brittle and has less strength. However, potassium-lead silicate may be separated into fibers with a uniform diameter of 200-300 A.U., and the fibers show with the electron microscope the s criteria that have been interpreted as indicating a hollow tube structure in chrysotile asbestos. Since very few inorganic crystalline compounds have such a structure, the material has unusual scientific interest. Microcrystalline potassium-lead silicate was rapidly and completely formed when powdered glass of the same composition was heated to 650° - 700° C, but macrocrystals grew only slowly from the viscous massive glass. Maximum growth rate was 0.12mm. per hour at 700° C.

Jan 1, 1957

By John E. Shelton

The growing interest in beryllium as a structural material, and its in-creased use in recent years for atomic energy application, have led both government and industry to express concern over the inadequacy of the beryllium resources in the United States and the free world. Contemplated and proposed uses for this unique material will surpass the capacity of the domestic beryllium mining industry to supply raw material, which is presently extracted from relatively small deposits by hand sorting. The need for a simple beneficiation process for beryl ores has long been recognized by the Bureau of Mines, but to date no single process has proved satisfactory for treating deposits containing a sufficient tonnage of beryl ore to warrant commercial exploitation. As a part of the Bureau's continuing effort to develop an economical recovery process, this report describes flotation research on samples of beryl-bearing pegmatites from the George Roebling mine in Connecticut, and the Colony mine in New Hampshire. The study resulted in two methods of treatment to which the ores responded reasonably well.

Jan 1, 1961

By Curtis A. Jones

Continuing interest has been shown in developing processes for extracting nickel and cobalt from low-grade domestic deposits of these metals and in improving existing methods. Of special concern is the nickel-recovery installation at Nicaro, Oriente Province, Cuba, operated for the General Services Administration. The Bureau? of Mines felt that a bibliography would help familiarize personnel at various Bureau of Mines stations and General Services Administration contractors with extraction methods both in the United States and in foreign countries. When this task was under way it became apparent that to compile a complete bibliography would require considerable time, so it was decided to limit the first part to the later literature and issue it independently, thus making it available sooner. The present work supplements the first part and extends the coverage to the earliest years of nickel and cobalt metallurgy.

Jan 1, 1959