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By George S. Rice, F. B. LANEY, A. J. Lanza, Edwin Higgins

Under its organic act the Federal Bureau of Mines is directed to conduct investigations relating to the improvement of health conditions in the mineral industries. This report describes the lead and zino deposits and the mining methods employed in the sheet-ground area of the Joplin district, Missouri, and discusses the causes and the methods of abating rock dust in the mines, the chemical and physical characteristics of the dust, and the quantities present in mine air. Although the preliminary investigation included a number of the "soft-ground" mines, the writer spent the larger part of his time in the sheet-ground mines, for in them alone was siliceous dust found in appreciable quantities. Some results of the preliminary investigation have been published by the Bureau of Mines in Technical Paper 105.a The territory covered in t~lCpreliminary investigation, during the period between November 7 and December 6, 1914, embraced parts of Jasper, Lawrence, Newton, and Greene Counties, Mo., and outlying districts in Kansas and Oklahoma. The remainder of the field work, to which 84 days during the period from February 9 to July 19, 1915, were devoted, was confined to the sheet-ground mines, the most important of which are situated in the vicinity of Joplin, Webb City, Carterville, and other smaller near-by towns in Jasper County, Mo.

Jan 1, 1917

By Paul S. Goodman

This report examines absenteeism and accidents. The first section provides some background information on absenteeism. The second section examines trends in absenteeism in underground coal mines over time. The third section examines causes of absenteeism. Models were examined. The first model looks at self-report reasons for absenteeism. The second examines demographic correlates of absenteeism. The third model includes demographic and attitudinal predictors of absenteeism. The next section of the report examines the effect of absenteeism on accidents. The last section contains strategies for reducing absenteeism.

Jan 1, 1985

Jan 1, 1987

By H. W. Earnest

This report covers the results of a two-phase study to determine the feasibility of underground disposal of retorted oil shale. Two mining methods, chamber and pillar mining and sublevel stoping, were specified for backfilling. Phase I of the study covered the evaluation of hydraulic, mechanical, and pneumatic transport and stowing systems, individually and in various combinations, and the selection of the most feasible methods. Conveyor transport and stowing and a combination conveyor transport and stowing with pneumatic topfilling were selected for detailed study of phase II. Phase II activities included detailed engineering analysis and design of the selected systems, an engineering economic analysis, and a cost comparison with total surface disposal of retorted oil shale. An extensive literature search was conducted and the bibliography is included in the report. Research done under Contract No. J0265052 by the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. Available for reference at Bureau of Mines facilities in Denver, Colo., Twin Cities, Minn., Bruceton and Pittsburgh, Pa., and Spokane, Wash.; U.S. Department of Energy facilities in Carbondale, Ill., and Morgantown, W. Va.; National Mine Health and Safety Academy, Beckley, W. Va.; and National Library of Natural Resources, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. Order ONLY from NTIS:

Jan 1, 1978

By A. F. Ogg

The installed world steel capacity remains 20% above the present world steel demand. Energy costs have risen enormously in recent years, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The role of the sinter plant is becoming more exacting as it becomes vital to minimize energy consumption. Continuous grate sintering, although pioneered in the United States, has always been the second grade burden preparation route, due to the predominance of easily up- graded ores which were more readily agglomerated by pelletizing. To achieve blast furnace performance up to best world standards, sinter of consistent high quality must be produced with virtually no atmospheric pollution. The plants must be capable of achieving this demanding level of quality whilst utilizing high proportions of revert materials, iron ore concentrates and fluxes . However, with the present difficult economic climate in the iron and steel industry, the economic production of sinter and ultimately steel is becoming increasingly important. The iron and steel industry is looking closely at costs and is identifying the need for sinter plants that will cope with a wide range of sintering materials to give the cheapest blend at varying output levels dependent upon demand. In order to meet these requirements, sinter plant builders are designing plants with particular attention on flexibility.

Jan 1, 1980

By Richard E. Thill

The Bureau of Mines' Oil Shale Data Bank (OSDB) was created in 1976 to serve as a centralized source for the storage, retrieval, and dissemination of technical literature, patents, and information on research projects in oil shale. Thousands of bibliographic references, patents, and research projects relating to the mining of oil shale have been identified, abstracted, and indexed according to selected keyword topics. The resulting data bank listings are contained in three sections, each with a separate keyword breakdown for use in rapidly identifying references pertaining to a specific subject. All references cited in the OSDB were published prior to an established cut-off date of May 1, 1981, when a redirection of Bureau of Mines programs resulted in the loss of project funds and the subsequent phasing-out of data bank operations. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The oil shale data bank listings are the result of a team effort of the project staff. The contributions of Jimaleen Jansma for keypunching, information acquisition, and data entry, and John Brandenburg and Sandra Brake for keywording and information acquisition are gratefully acknowledged. Appreciation is expressed to the staff members of the Smithsonian Science Information Exchange, Washington D.C. for their cooperation in supplying data on recent research projects in oil shale for inclusion in the OSDB listings. Appreciation is extended also to the staff of the Gallegos Research Group for assisting with computer services to obtain the final printouts and transfer of files onto magnetic tape.

Jan 1, 1982

By K. C. Dean

Discarded automobiles represent the greatest single resource of reusable metals, plastics, and rubber in the United States. This report presents results of Bureau of Mines research, conducted from 1965 to 1983, on separating and recovering useful materials from the scrapped hulks, using old and new metallurgical techniques combined with standard scrapyard methods. The Bureau determined the materials composition of three composite cars designated as circa 1960, mid-1970's, and early 1980's, and used these cars to study smokeless incineration and hand-sorting techniques. In studies on treating rejects from automobile shredders, the Bureau designed a process that included air classification, water elutriation, magnetic separation, handpicking, and heavy-medium separation, and also investigated cryogenics and liquation. Complete recovery of cop-per and other metals was economically made by hand and tool dismantling, leaching, or selective melting of starters and generators. Techniques are also discussed for plastic recovery and waste tire treatment.

Jan 1, 1985

By C. M. Harrer

This paper describes the location and general features of iron occurrences in Colorado. Most of the deposits were examined; many are in forested and mountainous areas at altitudes of 5,000 to 13,700 feet. Iron is known to occur in 30 counties of western Colorado. Transporting the ore to market is a handicapping economic factor involving long truck and railroad hauls; the nearest purchaser of smelting ores is the Colorado Fuel and Iron Corp., at Pueblo, Colo. When the ore can be sold locally for special purposes and at higher prices than can be obtained at iron smelters, small-scale operations can supply that market.

Jan 1, 1959

Greater mining productivity requires a more efficient cutting process. The cutting force available from today?s mining machines has been optimized with respect to machine size and weight. Researchers have shown that when employing water-jet-assisted cutting, bit forces and drum torques can be reduced significantly, which may allow mining machines to become lighter and more efficient. The Bureau of Mines has initiated a program to develop a water- jet-assisted rotary cutting system using the conventional bit assisted by a directed water jet operating at moderate pressures (3,000 to 10,000 psi). This water-jet-assisted cutting system has the potential to improve cutting efficiency without increasing machine horsepower or water usage (beyond what is presently used for dust control) or requiring fundamental changes in mining practice. IR addition to improvements in productivity, other anticipated benefits of water-jet cutting include reduced generation of respirable dust, elimination of frictional ignitions, increased bit life, reduced fines, and fewer machine vibrations. The papers presented at this open industry meeting discuss the development of water-jet-assisted cutting technology and future application of this technology to a variety of mining techniques including roof drilling and longwall mining.

Jan 1, 1985

By E. H. Denny

The presence in the Cripple Creek district, Colo., of irrespirable gas or gases, generally known to consist mainly of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, has been recognized by members of the mining industry in that region almost since underground mining was begun there; the occurrence, origin, and possible control of these gases have been discussed in several articles cited at various places in this report. Similar gases have also been studied in other metal-mining districts, as later discussed. In March, 1925, there were two fatalities from rock-strata gases in the shaft of the Index mine, near Cripple Creek. Two men repairing the bell or signal line preparatory to reopening the shaft were lowered into irrespirable gases and died. Their bodies were recovered by rescue crews from the United States Bureau of Mines and .the Portland mine, Victor, Colo. These crews found it necessary to use oxygen breathing apparatus. In October of the same year a miner was trapped on the 6 level of the Midget mine by an influx of gases that filled the shaft to a point above that where he was working. Oxygen breathing apparatus was again used by Bureau of Mines employees, who were in the vicinity, and the man was brought out in time to save his life. These two fatalities and one near fatality seemed to show that additional investigation of the gases and methods of control might be warranted. Accordingly, field and laboratory studies were begun by the authors of this report after a visit to the district by M. van Siclen, then engineer in charge, mining research division, Bureau of Mines, and after conferences with the Mine Owners' Association of Cripple Creek and with J. T. Joyce, metal-mine commissioner of the State of Colorado. The mine operators of the Cripple Creek district and the State mine commissioner's office gave whole-hearted cooperation in this work.

Jan 1, 1930

By Harold M. Smith

The data in this report were prepared to show how Bureau of Mines routine crude oil analyses could be used to evaluate crude oils in terms of common commercial products . The use of Bureau of Mines routine analyses to determine hydrocarbon - type relationships for the gasoline and gas - oil fractions is demonstrated . For this purpose the correlation index , the aromatic profile and the naphthene profile are used to establish reasonably acceptable values for hydrocarbontype relationships . The derivation and meaning of these indications are discussed . These analytical interpretations are applied to a group of high - sulfur crude oils from the Near East , the Permian basin of West Texas , Venezuela , Colombia , California , and other locations , and the resultant data for gasoline , gas oils , lubricating oils , and asphalt are compared by appropriate tables and graphs . Because the Near East crude oils contain higher quantities of paraffins in the gasoline and gas oil ranges , they will yield good , lowsolvency solvents and good kerosine , jet fuel , and diesel fuels , but straightrun gasoline of inferior quality compared to similar products from either West Texas or Venezuelan high - sulfur oils . The Near East oils also should be good sources of lubricating stock . However , when used as stock for catalytic cracking or reforming , the Near East oils suffer by comparison because they are deficient in naphthenes .

Jan 1, 1964

By W. J. Schitt

Section 15 covers a loose collection of topics that involve water in some way. The chapters in this section include Dredge and Placer Mining (Chapter 15.1), Solution Mining: Surface Techniques (Chapter 15.2), and Solution Mining: In Situ Techniques (Chapter 15.3). The dredge and placer systems involve water in several forms. The segment on hydraulicking or hydrosluicing discusses the use of monitors to direct high-pressure water jets to move material. As such, this represents an alternative to mechanical breakage, loading, and hauling. This chapter also covers placer mining (except dry placering) where the water provides the medium that promotes the separation of minerals based on their density and other settling characteristics. Thus placer mining is generally limited to concentration of gold, tin ore, diamonds, and other heavy minerals that are already liberated and are contained in a less dense matrix. The third topic, straight forward dredging, as in sand and gravel operations, involves water only in an incidental way. Here water simply covers the minerals of interest. Thus the dredging system need only lift a payload from the submerged location to the surface for further processing or handling

Jan 1, 2008

By Thomas G. Murdock

The possible contribution of an improved mineral economy to the further advancement of the lesser developed regions of the world is a vital consideration today. Many of the newly independent countries recognize the problems and the challenge involved in orderly development of mineral resources. Some countries are inventorying resources, planning development, and encouraging local and foreign participation. The Malagasy Republic, composed of the island of Madagascar and the immediately adjacent islands, formerly the French Overseas Territory of Madagascar, is one of the members of the French Community which achieved independence in 1960. It is making real progress towards improving its mineral economy, an effort particularly remarkable considering the generally unfavorable geographic location of the area with respect to world markets and what is, after all, a comparatively sparse-economic mineralization in the light of discoveries to date. Most of the development of the Malagasy economy before independence was fostered by French private enterprise, although the State participated in some ventures. Since independence, the Government has encouraged private investment from a variety of sources through favorable legislation and has indicated that legitimate investment projects that will further advance social and economic programs will be welcome.

Jan 1, 1963

By The Staff

FOR forty years cyanide men have been intensively engaged on the treatment of sulpho-telluride ores. So far as we know, the processes used today were-with the important exception of the concentration plus high-lime process at the Victor mill (1915)-in use, or had been tried, in the earl y years of the century. Roasting, bromocyanide, ordinary cyanide, table and vanner concentration, floating and treating the concentrate, roasting con-centrates prior to treatment, etc., all were used at Kalgoorlie in 1904 or earlier. Flotation, followed by shipment of the concentrate to the Golden Cycle mill, was the practice at the Vindicator mine, Cripple Creek, for some years prior to 1917. Similar practice was employed in the Portland Independence mill at Victor, Colorado, and was lacer superseded by the table concentration, high-lime cyanide treatment of rails of the older Portland Victor mill. During all this time, an immense amount of research was being clone on these ores by the staffs of numberless companies. Conclusions were drawn and mills built. But if the results of one per cent of this research were ever published in sufficient detail for intelligent use by others, the Lake Shore staff has been unable to discover them, or does not recall having clone so. Government laboratories-as for instance chose of the Mines Branch, Ottawa, in or about 1927-have touched upon certain methods in their publications, but they simply have not had the time to finish the job. The paper by W. E. Johnston, Tellurides-Problem or Alibi? (E. & M.]., Aug., 1933), aroused wide interest and comment. It published conclusions, some right and some wrong, and gave the evidence adduced by the author i:n support thereof. Conclusions published without supporting evidence are to most of us worse than no conclusions at all. We suggest chat, if even one-tenth of the operators had published full, detailed results of their laboratory work, ad vance in the treatment of sulpho-telluride ores would have been very much accelerated. Therefore, we venture to inflict upon the Institute a compendium of the results of laboratory work performed during the past few years at the Lake Shore mill. It is really a summary of the more interesting results to date, prepared by the mill staff for their own use and benefit. But we hope chat the discussion under any heading is so detailed chat it will be intelligible to anyone interested in that phase of the subject.

Jan 1, 1936

By Thomas G. Murdock

The possible contribution of an improved mineral economy to the further advancement of the lesser developed regions of the world is a vital consideration today. Many of the newly independent countries recognize the problems and the challenge involved in orderly development of mineral resources. Some countries are inventorying resources, planning development, and encouraging local and foreign participation. The Malagasy Republic, composed of the island of Madagascar and the immediately adjacent islands, formerly the French Overseas Territory of Madagascar, is one of the members of the French Community which achieved independence in 1960. It is making real progress towards improving its mineral economy, an effort particularly remarkable considering the generally unfavorable geographic location of the area with respect to world markets and what is, after all, a comparatively sparse economic mineralization in the light of discoveries to date. Most of the development of the Malagasy econorny before independence was fostered by French private enterprise, although the State participated in some ventures. Since independence, the Government has encouraged private investment from a variety of sources through favorable legislation and has indicated that legitimate investment projects that will further advance social and economic programs will be welcome.

Jan 1, 1963

By M. Vallée, J. -P. Charette, D. P. Gold

"The Oka Carbonatite and Alkaline Complex is a Lower Cretaceous intrusive body of the Monteregian petrographic province. Carbonate rocks of various types, and associated alkaline rocks of the ijolite and okaite suites, are distributed in a double ring-dyke structure 4 Yi miles long by 1 1/2 miles across. Alnoite and alrioite breccia pipes intrude all rocks of the Complex and indicate, from inclusions, that a cover of Palaeozoic rocks existed at the time of emplacement.The results of radiometric, magnetic and gravity surveys of the Complex are compiled and discussed both with respect to the regional pattern and, locally, the bed-rock geology. The Complex is characterized by high-intensity anomalies.Exploration activities started during 1953, and mining operations began in 1961 on the property of St. Lawrence Columbium and Metals Corporation, at one time the world's largest producer of niobium concentrates. Because of the boudinaged and fractured nature of many of the rocks and the variability in grade of the ore minerals, the role of the mining geologist is both demanding and exacting. Rock types are varied and their mutual relation-ships ambiguous, the minerals are rare and complex, and close geological control of the ore is needed in the mine and in the mill. Closely spaced diamond drill holes are needed for mining control, and the ore-waste contact is defined mainly by assay results.In the exploration for 'carbonatites' in Eastern Canada, aeromagnetic surveys are judged to be the best exploration tool, followed in decreasing order by the search for circular structures on aerial photographs, regional gravity surveys and radiometric surveys."

Jan 1, 1967

By R. W. Stahl, H. E. Sanford, J. B. Benson

Immediately following the capitulation of Germany in World War II, the German State was occupied by various allied forces, who supervised all indus- trial activities in the area. Coal production is vital to the industrial life of Germany, and most of the coal is mined in the American- and British- occupied zones of western Germany. The British-occupied zones include the Aachen and Ruhr districts, from which approximately 90 percent of the coal is obtained. Figure 1 is a map of the Ruhr district. Because of the magni- tude of the task of insuring an adequate supply of coal and the necessity for united action, it was deemed best to reorganize the coal-producing facilities in the British zone undor the joint supervision of American and British authorities. As a result, the UK/US Coal Control Group was established accord- ing to the organization plan indicated in figure 2. Headquarters for the group was established at Essen, in Villa Huegol, the prewar home of the Krupp family (fig. 3). One of the many problems recognized immediately by the UK/US Coal Control Group was the necessity of preventing disasters and reducing accidents to work- men in mines undor military-governmont control. Consequently, the United States Bureau of Mines was requested to furnish the services of qualified men to search for the hazards incident to coal mining and to prepare comprehensive reports on the results of their investigations. The authors, who wore selected for this task, spont about a year in Germany and visited all except a few of the smaller mince. Whereas their principal purpose was to investi- gate safety conditions, somo of the operating conditions and practices also wore studied. The results of the studies and investigations are embodied in this circular with the hope that some useful information will be disseminated to the mining industry of the United States, including supervisory officials, safety directors, engineers, and mine workmon.

Feb 1, 1950

By D. W. Bridges, R. O. Dannenberg, Laird Crocker

Preliminary solvent extraction studies , reported by the Bureau of Mines (5) , have been continued and expanded to improve on the previous estimate of process requirements . The solvent extraction portion of the process was examined at a scale large enough to enable meaningful extrapolation of the results to geometrically similar equipment of plant size . About 82 pct of the beryllium was recovered from approximately 0.5 pct beryllium oxide (Be0) Spor Mountain , Utah , ore by a process involving ( 1 ) sulfuric acid leaching , ( 2 ) counter current decantation (CCD ) washing , (3 ) iron ( III) reduction by sodium hydrosulfide ( NaHS ) , ( 4 ) beryllium solvent extraction by di - 2- ethylhexyl phosphoric acid ( EHPA) , ( 5 ) caustic stripping of beryllium- bearing EHPA, (6 ) hydrolysis of sodium beryllate - caustic strip liquor , and (7 ) calcination of beryllium hydroxide (Be ( OH ) 2 ) formed in step (6 ) . The resulting beryllia assayed 98 to 99 pct Be0 and was suitable for most nonnuclear uses . Best overall results were obtained by using pH 2 , 1.6 grams of BeO per liter of leach liquor as feed and 0.25 N EHPA in kerosine containing 2 wt vol pct (grams per 100 ml of solution ) isodecanol ( IDA ) as solvent . Analysis of the data indicated that a commercial plant would achieve 95- pct overall extraction operating at 45 ° C with 20 hp per 1,000 gal of dispersion in each of seven mixer- settlers , having 290 gal per ton of ore hourly mixer capacity and 90 gal per ton of ore hourly settler capacity . At least 79 lb H2SO4 , 13 lb sodium hydroxide (NaOH ) , 3 lb NaHS , 0.25 lb kerosine , 0.07 lb polyacrylic flocculant , 0.03 lb EHPA , and 0.007 lb IDA would be required in H2SO4 leaching and subsequent processing to recover 1 lb BeO .

Jan 1, 1964

By J. H. E. Jeffes, K. T. Jacob

Solid oxide galvanic cells, of the type: Pt,Ni-NiO | Solid electrolyte | O(metal),Cermet,Pt, were used to measure the activity coefficient of oxygen in liquid Cu at 1 100 and 1 300°C and in Pb at 1 100°C. Similar cells were used to study the activity coefficient of oxygen in the whole range of Cu + Pb alloys at 1 100°C and in Pb-rich alloys at 900 and 750°C. The results obtained are discussed in terms of proposed solution models. An equation based on the formation of 'species' of the form M(2)O in solutions of oxygen in binary alloys is shown to fit the experimental data

Dec 1, 1971

By M. Tanaji

Over the last many decades, a significant amount of research has gone into the domain of slurry transport. However, design engineers still face many challenges with respect to prediction of pressure drop, critical velocity and other design parameters as a function of Solids % and Particle Size Distribution (PSD). The industry requirement is to transfer the slurry at the maximum concentration as possible (above 30% (volume %)) to make slurry transport more economically viable and to reduce water consumption. To facilitate the design and scale-up of slurry transport in pipelines and in process plants, there is a need for a correlation that can predict slurry pressure drops over a wide range of operating conditions and physical properties of different slurries. The objective of this study is to overcome the limited range of applicability and validity of existing correlations and to develop a generalized but more rigorous correlation applicable to a wider range of slurry sys-tems. The existing Wasp et al. (1977) method is based on multi-phase flow modeling approach. This study attempts to modify this approach by considering material-specific values of Durand?s equation co-efficient and by defining flow regimes based on particle Reynolds number. When compared with experimental data, the modified Wasp method proposed in this study predicts the pressure drop for slurry flows more accurately than other available correlations. Also, the pro-posed method requires minimal test/experimental data for a particular slurry system and can be extended over different input conditions. An iterative computer algorithm is developed to calculate the criti-cal settling velocity and pressure drop in a pipe as a function of Solids % and PSD. The solution method can easily be implemented in de-signing slurry pipes, design validation, and studying the different slurry transport scenarios. The modified method can also be extended to accurately predict pressure drops in dynamic pressure flow networks used in commercial process simulators.

Feb 23, 2014