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By J. L. Schwendeman

This is the final report of work done under contract H0210060 for the U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines. This program was to show the feasibility of using plastic liners containing sand and other fillers as a means of roof support in coal and other mines. This laboratory study was conducted in two phases, namely: Phase I, directed toward determining which state-of-the-art resin systems might have utility as a means of roof support in a coal mine, consisted of a canvass of resin manufacturers to learn which resins were available commercially that might have utility for this application. The resins submitted by the manufacturers were evaluated in a number of simple tests to define which of them would be most suitable for roof support use.

Jan 1, 1972

By Louis R. Iverson

Analysis of seed numbers present in topsoils (a grazed area, an ungrazed area, and two stockpiles) indicated that seeds of the most prevalent colonizers (e.g., Kochia scoparla, Setaria virdis, and Salsolo collins) were not present in the topsoil upon respreading but rather appeared by immigration from the surrounding areas. The grazed site had a seed density of over 7,700 seeds m-2 (of which 43% were from weedy species) and the ungrazed site had 3,900 seeds m-2 (of which 7% were weeds); the stockpiled topsoils had very low seed densities (255 and 520 seeds m-2). Seed densities and diversity decreased with depth on both the grazed and ungrazed sites; this was especially true on the grazed site where 94% of the seeds were found in the surface 7.5 cm. Several species were present in the seed bank (e.g., Hedeoma hispida, Artemesia ludoviciana, A. frigida, and A, abslnthlum) which were also found on the three and four year old mined sites in the aboveground vegetation survey. Seeds from these species may germinate after several years of dormancy, thereby starting populations on mined sites and enhancing plant diversity. Seed bank analysis was also undertaken on mined sites ranging in age of 2 to 6 years (plus an unmined site). Mined site seed densities ranged from 1630 to 3980 seeds m-2, with the four year old site having the greatest density (largely because of high Melilotus spp. populations); unmined site and stockpiled topsoil sample had lower seed densities. A significant positive correlation between total viable seed content and soil-water saturation percentage indicated that soil texture may influence seed viability/ dormancy (the. finer the material, the higher the seed population). As with the previous part of this study (and other studies), there was a poor correlation between the aboveground flora and the belowground seed composition.

Jan 1, 1982

By Charles L. Kimbell

In overall aggregate, the world's mineral industry in 1987 experienced a more satisfactory year than in 1986, at least insofar as its performance could be assessed from traditional statistical indicators. Production, trade and consumption seemingly advanced in the case of the majority of commodities, and prices for a number of commodities advanced. It was by no means certain, however, whether 1987 investment in mineral industry ventures would top the levels of 1986, when, in the case of petroleum industry investment expenditures there had been a sharp decline, this in contrast to evidences of a slight upturn in steel industry investment. World crude mineral output value was estimated at more than $1,084 billion, and the value added by minerals industry processing of this material probably raised the total value of the industry's production from primary materials to more than $2,600 billion constant 1983 dollars. Less easy too assess was the value of mineral commodities moving in international trade, but with a resurgence in oil prices from the 1986 levels, an increase above the 1986 $500 billion mark seemed assured. There are no comprehensive aggregate statistics on mineral consumption comparable to those on production and trade, but quantitative growth recorded for most major commodities suggested a favorable trend, particularly when coupled with a general (though by no means universal) upturn in unit prices.

Jan 1, 1989

By H. E. Hilliard

A method was investigated for detecting and counting filamentous iron bacteria in open recirculating cooling systems. It is simple and fast and does not require trained microbiologists. Samples from 26 systems were examined. Cells were cultivated on commercially prepared ready-to-use media. Cultures grew well on this medium and were identified as filamentous iron bacteria by microscopic examination and by their ability to deposit iron using the prussian blue reaction.

Jan 1, 1976

By H. L. Gibbs

A portable radon monitoring instrument capable of making on-the-spot measurements of the radon gas content of uranium mine atmospheres was designed and constructed. The monitor was tested in the laboratory and in operating uranium mines. Good correlation was obtained between the monitor readings and radon measurements made on mine atmosphere samples taken in radon bottles.

Jan 1, 1973

By William C. Cooley

[Data from t.-raturs on each hydr,ne has been assembled on the- data sheets whichw6ed in this Appandin. Dai_iis are provl_ od for ::amines or hydraulic s-ctions in the USSR (TDPhw~s), 8 in ASR (Kuzbass) , 1i-gin i, 1 in 7in China, i in Japan, and l in C~n- i.Ata sheetsiov tion prepared for mines in New Zealah_~sddered very rele¬ vant, nor forf !aA of information. In aW,!~.F in : --- C=SR for tiara ShoeLS ara 1palAwdl satinieral mines have operac- ~ - re Manned about which very limited data exist as folloos:]

Jan 1, 1975

By George S. Rice

"The successful use of the gas mask by the American Army it France in combatting the poisonous gases of German .shells caused many Army men to feel that the as masks were proof against any kind of gas which might be encountered. The result has been that from time to time there have been reported in the press, deaths of former army men through using their masks to enter various kinds of gases such as illuminating gas, gasoline vapor, and the gaseous atmospheres produced by mine fire. Such a case has just been reported from a mine, in Copperopolis, California, where a former Army man lost his life in descending a mine shaft filled with the fumes of a mine fire. Another man who, in attempting to rescue him, merely used a dust respirator, lost his life also.While the American type of the Army gas mask was developed by the Bureau of Mines for the War Department, and since the war a section of the Bureau's in¬vestigative force has been developing industrial gas masks for certain specificgases, the Bureau has repeatedly called to the attention of the public the fact that such masks have serious limitations and in no case should a gas mask be used in underground workings for the reason that there may be an insufficient amount of oxygen to breathe, (and the gas mask does not supply oxygen) or there may be present carbon monoxide, which the Army mask will not remove, and there always is some carbon monoxide produced by a mine fire or by a coal-mine explosion, or by a blast of dynamite or other explosive.It is true that the Bureau has been developing a mask which may take care of a small percentage of carbon monoxide, that is, one per cent and under, but in mine fires and after explosions, there may be, and frequently is, a much larger percentage of carbon monoxide in the mine atmosphere. Masks such as these, for small percentages of carbon monoxide and associated gases are for use in connection with industrial surface plants, as for example, on the top of a blast furnace or around gas producers in the open air."

Oct 1, 1920

By Steven G. Grannes

This U.S. Bureau of Mines report summarizes Federal mandatory belt conveyor automatic fire suppression system installation requirements and inspection procedures, identifies system failure modes observed during in-mine investigations, and suggests system design and maintenance upgrades which, if implemented, would result in an improvement in overall system reliability. This report is a compilation of recommendations based on discussions with Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) inspectors, review of manufacturer's literature, discussions with mine personnel, and research investigations of automatic fire suppression system performance in the laboratory and in mines. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requirements for installation, inspection, and maintenance of fire suppression systems should be regarded as minimum standards.

Jan 1, 1990

By Isaac A. Zlochower

This paper presents data on the limiting (minimum) oxygen concentration (LOC), in the presence of added N2, of methane (CH4), propane (C3H8), ethylene (C2H4), carbon monoxide (CO), and hydrogen (H2), and some of their binary mixtures. It also addresses the issue of the flammable concentration (flammability) limits of these pure gases in air. The study is based on spark ignited explosions in large, spherical laboratory vessels (120-L and 20-L) using a 7% pressure-rise criterion for explosion propagation. The results of the study are compared with the older values which used long flammability tubes with a diameter >5 cm together with visual evidence of substantial upward propagation. They are also compared to results reported recently using a 12-L spherical flask with a visual flame propagation criterion. Finally, they are compared to results reported in Europe using more modest flammability criteria and smaller chambers. The findings reported here show excellent agreement between the 120-L and 12-L results, good agreement with the 20-L results, and reasonable agreement with the earlier flammability tube values for the lower flammability limits. They disagree, however, with the more conservative European values. These results and those from the 12-L experiments also feature lower LOCs than are given by traditional flammability tubes. A model for the LOCs of such fuel mixtures based on the Le Chatelier mixture rule for lower flammable limits is seen to reasonably fit the observed results on binary mixtures and can accommodate more complex mixtures as well. One such set of ternary mixtures containing CH4 and 1:1 CO:H2 is well fitted by the model.

Jan 1, 2009

By M. C. Malamphy

A general description of the activities and results of bauxite investigation by the Bureau of Mines at its bauxite project in Saline and Pulaski Counties, Ark., has been given in Report of Investigations No. 4251. The factual data obtained during the project are reported in a series of Reports of Investigation beginning with No. 4251, of which this is the sixth. The data are accompanied by maps showing the loca.ion of holes, drilled and the deposits developed. Each area upon which work was done is reported by half townships. Each bauxite deposit investigated was assigned a name and a number for ready reference and identification, and its location and name are shown on the appropriate half-township map. The description of each half township is followed by a description of each deposit developed in that half township. The 14 half-township maps and 77 detail maps of the bauxite deposits in this series of reports give the locations and numbers of all the holes drilled on the project except the deep holes drilled to test geophysical anomalies. The locations of those holes are shown on figure 13 in Volume I. The descriptions of the deposits developed are followed by complete detailed logs of the drill holes. Many of the widely spaced exploratory holes did not discover bauxite of minable thickness and grade. The pertinent information obtained from the widely spaced exploratory drill holes has been summarized and tabulated, and a table for each half township is given with the discussion covering that area.

Jan 1, 1948

By L. D. Patts, G. H. Schnakenberg

Achieving substantial reductions in the exposure of underground miners to diesel particulate matter in a number of metal and nonmetal mines in the U.S. depends on the ability of the industry to widely implement advanced diesel emissions control technologies, primarily diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems. Recent field studies showed that diesel particulate filter systems with Cordierite and silicon carbide ceramic filter elements are capable of reducing concentrations of diesel particulate matter and elemental carbon by more than 70 and 90 percent, respectively. But those studies and several other attempts to implement DPF systems in underground mines revealed a number of relatively unique technical and operational challenges that are limiting industry-wide implementation of this technology. This paper provides detailed analysis of some of those challenges and short overviews of several projects launched by NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory in an attempt to provide the underground mining industry with more adequate DPF systems. These systems employ advanced technologies to overcome the most pronounced challenge, the regeneration of DPF elements installed on mining engines that generate relatively low exhaust temperature. This paper presents essential findings obtained through a long-term evaluation of DPF system with diesel fuel burner technology installed on a heavy-duty load-haul dump vehicle in an underground metal mine. In addition, the essential results of the laboratory evaluation of a popular on-highway DPF system which was adapted and optimized for underground mining applications will be summarized in this paper.

By David C. Benson

This Bureau of Mines report is an update of IC 8725 and comprises tables listing the name, location, and other pertinent data concerning certain fuel-related projects. The tables include information on projects involving the proposed or planned development of fuel resources, as well as the development of storage, transportation, and conversion facilities; the report covers the 26 States east of the Mississippi River. Of the total 535 projects for which information is provided, 429 concern coal mines and electric generating plants (including Energy Supply and Environmental Coordination Act (ESECA) coal conversion notices).

Jan 1, 1978

By James F. O'Neill

Brown iron ore resources in Barbour , Butler , Crenshaw , and Pike Counties were investigated in a drilling program and geological study by the Federal Bureau of Mines in cooperation with the Alabama Geological Survey and the University of Alabama . The aggregate footage drilled was 18,010 linear feet . When developed , reserves of 12,664,000 long tons of crude ore were indicated , containing from 26.9 to 29.0 percent iron and 0.2 to 1.6 percent manganese under a maximum overburden of 40 feet . Total inferred crude ore for the four counties was calculated to be 827,700,000 long tons . Beneficiation of samples by simulated log washing and use of a 1 / 8 - inch screen yielded from 46.8 to 51.7 percent iron and 0.2 to 2.6 percent manganese . Screen- test studies indicated no appreciable interlocking between the iron and manganese minerals and the waste particles of materials retained on a 200 - mesh screen . Clay was prominent in micron - size slimes . Silica was deleterious in the minus 20 - mesh size . While an indicated 2,198,000 dry long tons of usable iron ore can be recovered , sink - and - float tests show that it may be possible for 4,654,000 dry long tons to be recovered by other than log washing . However , applicable commercial processes have not been demonstrated .

Jan 1, 1965

By J. S. Miller

This report presents a complete coverage of results from Bureau of Mines preliminary research and the field application of explosive fracturing techniques to prepare oil shale for in situ recovery of shale oil. Small-scale surface tests were conducted to determine the feasibility of using a nitroglycerin-base explosive for creating rock fractures. Prior to underground testing, surface and near-surface tests with liquid explosives showed that explosions in sheetlike layers simulating underground fractures would propagate effectively. Successful surface experiments were conducted using layers of explosive placed between glass plates and explosive-saturated sand confined in small-diameter metal tubes. The tests in glass-plate reservoirs and metal tubes demonstrated that nitroglycerin would detonate and the explosion would propagate in cracks as thin as 1/32 inch and through distances up to 12 feet. In a shallow field test, nitroglycerin was detonated in a vertical crack in limestone and produced extensive fracturing. Explosive fracturing tests were performed in oil shale formations on seven sites near Rock Springs, Wyo. The procedures included (1) displacing and detonating nitroglycerin in natural or hydraulically induced fracture systems; (2) detonating nitroglycerin in wellbore shots; (3) displacing and detonating nitroglycerin in induced fractures followed by wellbore shots using pelletized TNT; and (4) detonating wellbore charges using pelletized TNT. The research on oil shale formations demonstrated that nitroglycerin displaced in a natural or hydraulically induced fracture would detonate, and the explosion would propagate through the explosive-filled fracture. Shooting a pattern of wells in oil shale at 100-foot depth with wellbore charges of pelletized TNT developed a satisfactory interwell fragmented zone. Tests performed on other sites at depths to 385 feet caused fragmentation of rock around the wellbore and provided interwell communication. Fourteen methods used to evaluate the extent and degree of fragmentation in the explosive fractured oil shale are discussed.

Jan 1, 1974

By Frank G. Horino

Drill cores from 18 exploratory holes that were drilled into the unleached saline beds were tested for mechanical properties by the Bureau of Mines. Test cores were primarily selected from zones L4B, R4B, L3, and R3A in the Piceance Creek Basin, Rio Blanco County, Colo. Regression analysis techniques were tried in an attempt to relate kerogen yield or apparent specific gravity to the parameters compressive strength, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio. Correlation coefficients were very poor, indicating that this type of analysis was not amenable to these data. Analysis of variance techniques were tried using a division of either greater than or less than 10% nahcolite together with the requirement of less than 3% dawsonite. Results showed that a larger percentage of nahcolite tended to lower the compressive strength and to increase Young's modulus. A second analysis was made using a division of less than 3% dawsonite and greater than 3% dawsonite together with the requirement of less than 1% nahcolite. For this analysis, a larger per-centage of dawsonite tended to increase compressive strength, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio. Mean compressive strength values were determined for the mining horizons of interest. Average physical properties for design purposes were also determined for the horizons of interest and for a proposed adit based only on logged geologic depths to these horizons. No consideration was given to percentages of nahcolite and dawsonite. Creep data obtained from nahcolite-and dawsonite-rich oil shales provides a best fit to a modified power equation.

Jan 1, 1978

By R. L. Hopkins

Some typical thiacyclopentanes and thiacyclohexanes were synthesized to provide reference compounds needed for the identification of sulfur compounds in crude oils. Two general methods of synthesis were employed: (1) cleavage of 2-alkyltetrahydropyrans with hydrogen bromide followed by the reaction of the resulting dibromoalkanes with sodium sulfide and (2) the catlyzed reaction of cyclic ethers or 1)4-or 1)5-alkanediols with hydrogen sulfide. Both methods produced mixtures of 2-alkylthiacyclopentanes and 2-alkylthiacyclohexanes with 2-alkyltetrahydropyran as the starting material. The structures of the reaction products were established by analysis for sulfur; desulfurization; gas-liquid chromatography (GLC); mass, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra; and an alternate synthesis. The synthesis of the cyclic sulfides contributed substantially to the identification of 10 members of this class of sulfur compounds in crude oil.

Jan 1, 1967

By O. C. Blade

The term "Ichtnyol" is a name applied loosely to certain preparations used in pharmacy. These preparations do not occur as such in nature but are manufactured by various chemical processes. Ichthyol is the name trademarked for a product manyfactured by the Irhthyel-Gescllschaft (Cordes Hermanni & Co.) of Hamburg, Germany, and marketed in thin, country by Merck & Co., Inc., (5, 86, 87)3/. Although used in the literature rather loosely, the correctly applied word refers to the product obtained by sulphonating and then neutralizing with ammonia a distillate from the oil retorted from a certain high-sulphur bituminous shale found near the village of Seefeld in the Austrian Tyrol. Due to the fact that fossils of fish and marine animals occur in the limestone associated with the bituminous shale, these deposits have long been known as, the "lchthyolite schistc of Seefeld" ( 55) . The Greek word "ichthys"" for fish and the Latin word "oleum" for oil are the words from which the term is derived. The crude, tarry shale oil, whose distillate is the raw material for the sulphonation process, has been referred to since the Middle Ages as "Dürsten" or "Tirschen" oil, and the term "ichthyel oil" has been used occasionally in the literature to designate the retorted crude oil (92, 93, 106, 117). The first application of the name "Ichthyol" to a particular product is credited to Schröter (35, 129). Various names for products manufactured by sulphonating bituminous distillates have been coined, and in some of these names the root from the word ichthys has been retained. Some of these names can be found in New and Nonofficial Remedies under the heading, Sulphoichthyolate Preparation, and Substitutes (5).

Jan 1, 1938

By E. R. Spencer, E. R. Bauer

Previous studies and research efforts have shown that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a problem in the U.S. mining industry. In response, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have been conducting a cross-sectional survey of equip­ment noise and worker noise exposures in the mining industry to estimate the potential for NIHL within the mining community. One commodity recently surveyed was the extraction of sand and gravel from surface pits and by dredging. To address the potential for NIHL in the sand and gravel industry, sound levels on and around the dredges and processing equipment were recorded to iden­tify areas of high noise levels. Full-shift worker dosimetry, in conjunction with task observations, was documented to determine the relationship between exposure and source. This paper presents research examining noise on dredges used in several surface mine sand and gravel operations and in the processing facilities. Results indicate that there are areas on the dredges (crane, suction pumps and diesel engines) where sound levels greater than 90 dB(A) are pres­ent. In addition, crushers and screens used in the processing of the sand and gravel also generate sound levels greater than 90 dB(A). Although no surveyed worker exceeded the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA’s) permissible exposure level (PEL) of 90 dB(A) eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA8), laborers, mechanics, oilers, helpers, pickers and greasers are the workers most likely to be exposed to hazardous sound levels and to thus develop NIHL over time

By Lance R. Barron

Over the past decade, the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) has studied longwall gate road stability at four mines in the Book Cliffs and Wasatch Plateau Coalfields of Utah. These operations are characterized by multiple-seam mining, abruptly varying cover depths to 914 m (3;000 ft), and massive rigid, sandstone units in the main roof or floor. Such conditions encourage severe bumping, roof instability, and occasional floor heave problems.' Various gate road configurations have been employed to alleviate' these problems. Although the mines have comparable basic conditions, the lithologies and qualities of the immediate roof, floor; and seam ate different in each mine and often vary in a single mine. Gate road systems that mitigate hazards in one mine may prove inappropriate in another or for different areas of the same mine. This report relates the geology of the coalfields; describes the location, geologic setting, specific mining conditions, operating history, and the USBM field study and results or conclusions for each mine; summarizes the relative performance of the gate road systems; and emphasizes the need for site-specific geotechnical data to evaluate gate road conditions and performance.

Jan 1, 1994

By Paul T. Alexander

After evaluating preceding studies and designs of lightweight supports, ESD selected the all-hydraulic and the hydromechanical concepts for detailed design and fabrication. Further analysis and testing showed that the all-hydraulic design was economically justified and met all the crucial engineering, manufacturing, and design criteria identified during the evaluation phase. Following Bureau of Mines approval of the detailed design, four all-hydraulic support models were fabricated. Once functional and structural testing was successfully completed, 40 additional units were constructed and distributed for in-mine testing. The units were very well-liked by all three demonstration mines. The wide- spread interest in supports for seam heights greater than 8 feet led to expansion of the design data package. ESD designed four basic models to cover the new height range, but no hardware has yet been fabricated for the new design.

Jan 1, 1982