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Author
Huggins, C. W. | Johnson, S. N. | Segreti, J. M. | Snyder, J. G.
Title
Determination of Alpha Quartz Particle Distribution in Respirable Coal Mine Dust Samples and Reference Standards.
Coporate
Bureau of Mines, Philadelphia, PA
Report
RI 8975, 1985, 11 p.
Keywords
dust | mine fires | quartz
Abstract
The objective of this Bureau of Mines research was to compare the size distribution of respirable quartz collected at coal mines with that of several reference standards used to quantify quartz in coal mine dust samples. Particle size measurements were made on 23 samples and 4 reference standards using a scanning electron microscope in the backscatter electron mode of operation, interfaced with an image analysis system. The Mine Safety and Health Administration provided the 23 respirable coal mine dust samples, which were collected at surface and underground coal mines in 7 States. The accumulated particle size measurements indicate three of the reference standards, minus 5-um Min-U-Si1, minus 5-um Supersil, and NBS 1878, would be prefered over the fourth, Silver Bond B, for quantitative quartz determinations in coal mine dusts by X-ray diffraction and infrared spectrometry.