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By J. G. Donaldson

Cobalt-tungsten binary deposits were formed in laboratory experiments by hydrogen reduction of the anhydrous mixed vapors of cobaltous chloride and tungsten hexachloride. The materials were sublimed in seperately heated zones of reaction tube and were transported in a stream of purified helium into the deposition section of the tube where the chloride gases were reduced to metal by a countercurrent flow of hydrogen. Heattreating of the near stoichiometric binary metallic deposits converted nearly all to the intermetallic compound Co3W, however, small quantities of both cobalt and tungsten remained. Mechanical tests showed that the tensile strength of heat-treated 75 percent cobalt-25 percent tungsten deposits was twice as high as that of similarly treated deposits of cobalt.

Jan 1, 1965

By P. L. Michael

Several evaluations were made by Modified Rhyme Test (MRT) word lists transmitted through various simulations of the Trapped-Miner Communication System being developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The tests were performed in a "single blind? situation so that the evaluators would not be biased by knowing the characteristics of the system being simulated. A computer program was developed to provide a simulation of the electrical aspects of the communication system and to provide an evaluation by calculation of the articulation index (AI). The study indicates that communication through the presently proposed system will be somewhat unreliable at depths as great as 300 metre even with the system operating at maximum effeciency.

Jan 1, 1977

By Fremont T. Johnson

Credited with production of more than 164,000 flasks Of quicksilver from 1876 to 1944, the Oat Hill mine has ranked third in output in the United States. During World War II, when the demand for mercury was high, this property was selected for diamond drill with the purpose of increasing ore reserves so that production could be maintained or, if necessary, increased. Although the existence of marginal-grade ore (fill material) left in the stapes and possibly of virgin ore of good grade had suspected in certain parts of the Oat Hill mine, no factual information to tonnage, grade, or location was available. In close cooperation with the Federal Geological Survey, the Bureau of Mines studied old records and the few available incomplete maps. Diamond drilling began in November 1943 and was completed in December 1944. Twenty-eight holes aggregating 8,121 feet were drilled, in only parts of the promising areas disclosed by the study of the data available. Detailed data on the work done by the Bureau as well as a brief history of the property and some operating details are described in this report.

Jan 1, 1949

By P. R. Tisot

Knowledge acquired from this research contributes to a better understanding of the physical structure of Green River oil shale and provides fundamental data and concepts that may serve to improve oil-shale technology. This study by the Bureau of Mines indicates that oil shale is a highly consolidated organic-inorganic system with no significant micropore structure, pore volume, or internal surface. This system is a form of physical structure that precludes rapid diffusion of either gases or liquids. The mineral matter consists essentially of nonspherical particles that tend to follow a log-normal size distribution. An excess of 99 weight-percent of these particles have equivalent spherical diameters of less than 44 microns--75 weight-percent are from 2 to 20 microns, and 15 weight-percent are less than 2 microns. The surface area (3 to 5 square meters per gram) of these mineral constituents is mainly external surface. The mineral constituents contain some micropore structure--pore radii ranging from 10 to 100 Angstrom--with the pore sizes randomly distributed. Distribution of the organic matter within the inorganic matrix is essentially interparticle and not intraparticle. The organic matter within the micropores of the mineral constituents is less than 4 percent of the total. Estimates made from surface area data suggest that perhaps only a small amount of the organic matter is bonded either physically or chemically to the mineral constituents.

Jan 1, 1963

By L. K. Weaver

Bureau of Mines investigated the progressive impact that petroleum (crude oil and condensate) operations in the Gulf of Mexico have had on onshore operations and the expected effect of increasing activities in this area on future petroleum supplies from domestic sources. The data analyzed include capital expenditures, number of wells drilled, success ratio for exploratory wells, daily production per completion, annual producing rates, and oil reserves. The report compares offshore and onshore data and ascertains trends in petroleum industry operations. Observed data and trends indicate that in the near future Gulf of Mexico development and production will continue to increase relative to total U.S. petroleum activity. By 1975 annual oil and condensate production from the Gulf of Mexico is expected to be in the range of 750 million bbl to 1,150 million bbl, and account for approximately 20 to 30 pct of the estimated total domestic production.

Jan 1, 1969

By Kenneth L. Rubow, Virgil A. Marple, Zhigun Zhang

"A theoretical technique has been developed and verified experimentally for determining the aerodynamic diameter of irregular shaped particles. The aerodynamic diameter of a particle is a very important parameter for determining where that particle deposits in the respiratory tract. Many instruments, such as impactors and cyclones, will determine the aerodynamic size distributions of aerosol particles but few analyze the particles individually. The theoretical approach of our technique is to solve, by use of high speed computers, the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations to obtain the flow field around an irregular shaped particle of any contour. The computer program will then determine the drag on the particle, and thus the aerodynamic diameter of the particle can be calculated. The experimental approach has been to pass the particles through a centrifuge and collect the particles upon a collection foil. The position of a particle on the foil is an indication of its aerodynamic diameter. These particles were then shadowed in two orthogonal directions and inspected under an scanning electron microscope (SEM). The top view of the particle in the SEM plus the views of the two orthogonal shadows allows one to determine the three-dimensional shape of the particle. Studies have been performed on silica, coal and talc particles with aerodynamic diameters in the 1 to 4 µm size range. The three-dimensional shape, as is determined from SEM analysis, was used in the theoretical computer program and the results compared. It was found that in most cases the agreement between the experimentally and theoretically determined aerodynamic diameters was within 5%. INTRODCJCTIONThe equivalent aerodynamic diameter (EAD) of a particle, defined as the diameter of a unit density sphere with the same falling speed as the particle in question, is an important size measurement of the particle. This is especially true when attempting to predict where particles may deposit in the respirator tract. Therefore, EAD is an important parameter when considering respiratory diseases caused by particles, such as coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP).Many instruments will measure the EAD size distribution of the aerosol particles, but few analyze the particles individually. Impactors, cyclones and virtual impactors normally collect particles upon substrates or filters which are · then analyzed gravimetrically to determine the mass concentration of the particles in that size classification. The EAD of particles can be measured on an individual basis with centrifuges, inertial spectrometers and the TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS). Centrifuges are most ideally applicable for studying individual particles as the particles are deposited, on long removable foils, at locations dependent upon their EAD."

Jan 1, 1990

By Jack L. Woodward

The evolution of surface mining equipment has resulted in larger, faster haulage units, loaders, etc., resulting in increased demands on steering technology. Careful analysis of these systems was warranted to determine if steering-related safety problems have been introduced. The objectives of this program were to: 1. Define the generic types of steering systems being used on mobile mining equipment used in surface mining operations. 2. Gather information on steering-related accidents in mining operations. 3. Assess the need for initiating government-sponsored research into steering system technology. A comprehensive literature survey was conducted concurrent with extensive contacts with mining operations, mining equipment manufacturers, steering system component manufacturers, and government agencies. A Technical Evaluation Group composed of representatives from the above organizations was formed to review the data gathered. It was concluded that the steering systems in use on surface mining equipment are reliable and do not present a safety problem. The Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. is active in pre-paring voluntary consensus standards to assure that the minimum levels of performance are defined for industry.

Jan 1, 1979

By P. C. Good

This Bureau of Mines report describes the preparation of phosphoric acid directly from phosphate ore, without prior beneficiation, in a small-scale, continuous process research unit, as part of an effort to improve minerals and metals recovery from domestic resources while minimizing environmental effects. Three phosphate-matrix samples, ranging in grade from 18.2 pct P20S5to 11.9 pct P205, were dry-fed at a rate of 1.82 kg/hr (4 lb/hr) to a continuous-circuit, 12-liter, single-tank digester to yield phosphoric acid and byproduct gypsum filter cake. Comparison with earlier data shows that a significantly improved filtration rate was attained in a single-tank reactor compared with that attained in a five-tank reactor train processing the same ore. Iron and aluminum impurities in the product phosphoric acid averaged about 60 pct higher than amounts reported in commercially prepared, concentrate-derived acid. All gypsum filter cakes prepared had a firm, sandy texture, rendering them physically suitable for stacking or landfill use. Introduction of dry attritioning and air classification approximately doubled the attainable filtration rate when the dry-beneficiated product was digested. In air classification, there was a 12-to 14-pct P205 loss. Depending on the technique used and the matrix grade, overall P205 recovery ranged from about 72 to 89 pct.

Jan 1, 1979

By B. L. Razzaboni, P. Bolsaitis

"The formation of reactive oxygen species resulting from the interaction of silica dust particles with red blood cell membranes was investigated; particularly, the effect of surface hydroxyl (silanol) group concentration on the rate of formation of such reactive oxygen species was investigated. The rate of formation was measured indirectly through the effect of catalase, a hemoprotein peroxidase, on silica-induced hemolysis. It was found that the addition of exogenous catalase to erythrocytes markedly reduces the hemolysis caused by silica particles. Furthermore, the amount of catalase required for deactivation of silica per unit area of particle surface is lower for fumed silica particles and calcined crystalline particles than for uncalcined, crystalline silica, suggesting a correlation between the concentration of OH groups at the silica particle surface and its potential for generation of H2O 2• The addition of albumin, a copper chelator, also decreases hemolysis. These results suggest that the hemolysis caused by silica particles is at least partly related to the formation of H2O2 at the particle surface and its subsequent reaction with Cu+ ions. The relationship between the concentration of surface silanol groups on the silica surface and the amount of catalase required to decrease hemolysis may also provide a method for testing potential fibrogenicity of respirable dusts. IntroductionReactive hydroxyl groups on silica surfaces are known to be cytotoxic and are believed to play a major role in silicosis (1-9). It has been proposed that this cytotoxicity results from hydrogen bonding to cell membranes and a resulting increase in membrane fluidity and permeability (4). Surface hydroxyl groups on silica surfaces have also been shown to interact with carbonyl oxygens in cell membranes (1,5). An extensive study by Nolan et al. (6) of the relationship between the negative surface charge resulting from ionized silanol groups and the hemolytic activity of crystalline a-quartz (Min-U-Sil) has shown a positive correlation between hemolytic activity and the surface concentration of silanol groups. These authors demonstrated that the hydrogen bonding of polyvinyl-N-oxide (PVPNO) with silanol groups, as well as the bonding of metal cations to the ionized sm- groups, results in significant decreases in hemolytic activity. Furthermore, it has been found that the complete removal of surface hydroxyl groups from the surface of respirable silica particles nearly eliminates the hemolytic potential of silica (7), suggesting that hydroxyl groups might be involved in other cytotoxic processes associated with silica-induced lung injury. Reactive oxygen species have been .implicated in cellular damage caused by respirable silica particles. Evidence for the presence .of oxygen radical species (02, OH°, H2O2) generated by silica, especially on freshly formed surfaces, has been produced by various investigators. Kalbanev et al. (8) detected H2O 2 in aqueous suspensions of quartz. Electron spin resonance and spin trapping by Shi et al. (9) confirmed the presence of OH"" radicals in aqueous suspensions of quartz, and Gulumian and van Wyk (10) suggested that both glass and quartz produce hydroxyl radicals in the presence of H2O 2 • Gabor et al. (11) detected the presence of malondialdehydereactive lipid peroxides (i.e., lipid-0°) in cultures of macrophages and respirable silica particles using the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reaction test. Will (12), however, reported that iron enhances the TBA value of peroxidized lipids, and Scheulen and Kappus (19) found that catalase augmented malondialdehyde formation, thereby increasing the TBA values."

Jan 1, 1990

By C. J. Wilhelm

The Bureau of Mines, under its cooperative agreement with the Kansas State Board of Health, has been conducting a study of the various methods of oil-field brine disposal in the oil fields of Kansas. A previous report5/dealt with this problem in the Ritz-Canton field, McPherson County, Kans. A preliminary survey of the Arkansas River drainage area in western Kansas was made during November and December 1934 and January 1935, and a second survey was made approximately one year later during the months of December 1935 and January and March 1936. In addition to the data on the production of oil and 'brine in the various fields and the methods used for handling the brine, the surface drainage and character of the surface soil in the various oil-producing areas were studied.

Jan 1, 1936

By H. F. Yancey, E. Zane

"INTRODUCTION The term ""friability"" as applied to coal may be defined as the physical property of coal which expresses its tendency to become reduced in size during handling as a result of such external forces as impact and attrition. Thus friability is a quantitative concept and property, and hence can only be defined in relative terms or in terms of measurement. Methods of measurement are difficult to formulate and apply because coal is anything but homogeneous in physical structure and chemical constitution. aMoreover, friability itself is a composite property obviously dependent upon a group of other specific characteristics such as cleavage, fracture, tenacity, hardness, and elasticity, which vary from coal to coal with change in rank and even between individual coals of the same rank. These characteristics affect the friability values of different coals to varying degrees, but this fact does not impair the usefulness of and the need for friability measurements.The amount of breakage or degradation in size that a coal suffers in mining, preparation, and subsequent handling depends upon its inherent friability and the severity of the handling treatment which it receives from the time it is taken from the bed until it reaches the consumer. The value of the coal to the producer and jobber depends in large measure upon these same factors--friability and severity of treatment—because the larger sizes still command a premium in the ordinary market. Although much has been accomplished by the coal-producing industry in minimizing the breakage of coal in mining and preparation, it is apparent that additional reductions in breakage must await further improvements in design of coal-handling equipment. Such improvements will result from more intensive investigations of the extent of breakage or degradation in size occasioned by specific mining and handling operations and the development and application of standardized methods of evaluating friability.The work described in this report was undertaken to assist in the development of standard methods for evaluating the friability of coal. Specifically, the work deals with a Comparison of the various methods previously proposed for estimating the friability of coal and coal products. This same objective is now being sought at a number of other institutions, both in the United States and Canada, by a committee of the American Society for Testing Materials. It is believed that by providing additional information concerning a property of coal pertinent to its increased usefulness, the work described will supplement and increase the useful of the data which long have been, and still are being, furnished by the bureau of Mines on the composition of coals of the United States."

Jun 1, 1933

By P. M. Ambrose

This report describes an accident, which took place in the Chemical Corrosion Laboratory at the College Park, Md., Station of the Federal Bureau of Mines. The accident occurred while Walter L. Acherman, chemist, was performing a routine manipulation during a corrosion experiment involving commercially pure titanium and red-fuming nitric acid. There was a sudden and very violent reaction, and a large quantity of acid was thrown in the face and over the body of Acherman, causing serious injury. L. B. Golden, chief of the Chemical Corrosion Section, was exposed to nitric acid fumes during the ensuing rescue and first-aid operations and died on January 25, 1954. According to the medical report, the direct cause of Mr. Golden's death was pulmonary edema and confluent bronchopneumonia; the contributary cause, was inhalation of fumes from red fuming nitric acid. The following employees of the College Park Station contributed to this report by supplying information on the accident and assisted in the rescue operation: L. B. Golden, chief, Chemical Corrosion Section; T. E. Green, chemist; Robert Warf field, chemist; L. A. DeVivo, laboratory mechanic; D. W. Chalkley, laboratory mechanic; E. H. Neagle, laboratory welder; and R. L. Heath, laboratory general mechanic.

Jan 1, 1955

By C. J. Walker

The ever-increasing use off natural underground formations for storing natural gas has focused attention on the behavior of such storage formations under varying operating conditions. The need for a means of evaluating in¬dividual wells and groups of wells has become manifest. It is essential that industry and others be able to determine the rates of flow that can be ex¬pected from a given well or group of wells under different conditions and to ascertain whether certain wells are deteriorating. Such questions need more exact answers now than ever before because of the vital role underground gas storage plays in the industrial and domestic consumption of natural gas. The Bureau of Mines--in cooperation with the American Gas Association--has main¬tained an active interest in gas-well testing because of the implications of such test procedures on the consumption and efficient production of natural gas. A basis for testing gas wells was provided by the back-pressure method of Rawlins and Schellhardt (12).4/ They showed that for normal gas wells there is a consistent relationship between rates of delivery of gas and corresponding pressures when the formation pressures are used as the basis of interpretation, The equation for this relationship is as follows: Q = C (Pf2 - Ps2)n where; Q = rate of flow, generally expressed in cubic feet per 24 hours. C = a coefficient.

Jan 1, 1960

By Halagowder Devaraj, Mostafa Sheykhnazari, Veer P. Bhavanandan

"A sensitive colorimetric assay for detecting mucins and glycoproteins rich in 0-glycosidically linked saccharides is reported. The method combines the susceptibility of N-acetylgalactosamine terminating 0-glyco idically linked saccharides to P-elimination with the Morgan-Elson reaction for N-acetylhexosamines with free reducing ends. All mucin and mucin-type glycoproteins but none of the serum-type glycoproteins tested resulted in characteristic color production. All mucins tested gave linear responses in the range 5 to 200 ""g and the assay was also adapted to the microscale involving the use of 96-well microtiter plates. The microassay in which the volumes of samples and reagents are scaled down 2.5-fold was particularly useful in monitoring of mucins, in the presence of other glycoconjugates, in large numbers of samples obtained during fractionation procedures. Cesium chloride, cesium bromide, potassium thiocyanate, and various detergents do not interfere with the colorimetric determination. Guanidine hydrochloride, cesium triftuoroacetate, and B-mercap- . toethanol decreased color by 30 to 45%; however, the interference was not serious to prevent the use of the method for detection of mucins in their presence. The use of the method for the specific detection of mucin during fractionation by gel filtration and density gradient centrifugation of cystic fibrosis sputum samples is demonstrated. Mucins are an important class of biomacromolecules whose structure-function relationship is poorly understood (1,2). The investigations of mucins are hampered by difficulties in purifying these very large size molecules which appear to avidly bind other components of the mucus (3,4). One of the problems during purification is the specific detection of mucins. For example, during the various purification steps, the fractions containing mucins are typically detected by assaying for neutral sugars (hexoses) (5,6), for sialic acids (7), or for periodate oxidizable saccharide units (8). However, these methods are not entirely satisfactory because neutral sugars, sialic acids, and periodate-oxidizable saccharides are also components of other glycoconjugates. In addition, the neutral sugar and sialic acid measurements are also subject to interference from high levels of proteins and nucleic acids."

Jan 1, 1990

By J. William Ganser

This paper is one of a series being prepared by the United States Bureau of Mines describing mining and milling methods and costs at cement-plant quarries throughout the United States. These papers are designed to disseminate technical information regarding the 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 some instances cause embarrassment to individual producers as well as to the industry as a whole. On the other hand, operating costs are essential to the technical discussion and study of methods employed. The attention of the reader is specifically called to this differentiation in order that no misunderstanding of the scope of the cost tabulations shall ensue.

Jan 1, 1931

By John W. Buch

Hydraulic cutting tests made on samples of Pennsylvania anthracite (3,700 psi and 260 gpm) were promising enough for the Bureau to establish a full scale experiment in an anthracite mine. Water pressure and quantity for mining anthracite were arbitrarily established at 5,000 psi and 300 gpm (1,000 hp). For full-volume flow, hydraulic pressure is controlled by orifice size with the displacement pump. The hydraulic jumbo was designed for maneuvering on pitches from 0° to 20° in any direction and for a coalbed ranging in thickness from 10 feet 6 inches to 15 feet. All motions of the jumbo are by oil hydraulics. Jet flow is controlled (start-stop) at the face, through an interlocked pushbutton system. One button is in the operator's cab; one, at the pump station; and one (a safety shutoff), near the mining face. To December 1962, 7,400 tons of bed material had been mined at an average rate of 0.800 ton per minute, with an average power requirement of 14.125 kilowatt-hours per ton. In January 1963, the objective was changed from an engineering-development basis to a research basis--to determine, ultimately, the most efficient level of operating characteristics for maximum response, as measured by mining-out rate. This research phase of the project is not yet complete, but conclusions, and the method of arriving at them, will be made the subject of another Bureau publication. It should be noted that as of December 1963 nearly 13,000 tons of bed material had been mined, at rates as high as 1. 3 tons per minute for a complete face advance.

Jan 1, 1965

By Henry J. Kellner, Michael J. Brnich

This U.S. Bureau of Mines report addresses issues involved in using a limited number of training apparatus to give hands-on self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) training to a succession of miners, and provides guidance regarding methods for minimizing the spread of infectious diseases. Procedures used for preventing the spread of infectious organisms in dentistry, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training, and scuba training are examined. The sanitizing methods of three organizations that require individuals to insert the mouthpiece as part of the SCSR donning sequence are discussed. It was found that each of these organizations was able to render their mouthpiece assemblies microbe free simply and inexpensively.

Jan 1, 1989

By L. Mark Irwin, R. A. Marsyla

The objective of this laboratory investigation was to develop a mattesmelting process for the recovery of copper from industrial smelter dusts . Experimentation was conducted on three samples of Cottrell precipitator dust from a northern Michigan smelter with variations in the following conditions : Temperature , charge composition , pelletization , and moisture content . Based on chemical analyses of the furnace slags , poorest recovery of copper was effected in smelting dry charges regardless of composition . Some improvement was noted with uniformly moistened charges and still more with pelletized (but dry) mixes , but best results were obtained from smelting moist , self - fluxing pellets . Under favorable conditions , experiments yielded furnace slags with an average copper content of only 0.15 percent , which is well below that of industrial copper reverberatory slags .

Jan 1, 1963

By F. Matanzo

This guide considers only nine of the many wire rope terminations used in the mining industry so use of the information presented for terminations not specifically addressed can be done, but with some risk. The nine terminations considered are: Flemish Loop with Steel Sleeve & Thimble, Flemish Loop with Steel Sleeve, Wedge Socket, Swaged Socket, Turn Back Loop with Aluminum Sleeve & Thimble, Thimble Splice with Four Tucks, V-Bolt Clip with Thimble, Zinc Poured Socket, and Epoxy Resin Poured Socket. The guide uses pull test data, axial fatigue test data, and data on sensitivity to poor workmanship, to rank the nine terminations with respect to these performance measures. A selection procedure is suggested and illustrated with an example. Failure data is used to identify the common modes of failure of each termination and so help the inspector direct his attention to the likely location for a failure and describe what he should be looking for. The data on which this guide is based is included so that as new data becomes available, the ranking order can be adjusted accordingly.

Jan 1, 1978

By Kenneth E. Hay

The Bureau of Mines collected coal and coal waste aggregate material from two different mine sites to determine their strength characteristics for use in concrete. The concrete would be placed underground as support walls for ground control in adverse conditions or unique mining applications. A standard mix design was established for a "wet" mix using a water-to-cement (w/c) ratio of 1.0 to facilitate pumping into place. Later, material was collected from four more mine sites and used to make 2-by 2-by 2-ft test blocks with the same w/c ratio. A pull-out cone device and borehole shear tester were used to determine the in situ material strength of the test blocks. These techniques will provide a simple and quick way of determining support wall strength in an underground environment. Test results from the pullout cone de-vice showed a good correlation of 0.98 to test cylinder compressive strengths of the same mix. Results of the borehole shear tester were inconclusive.

Jan 1, 1986