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U.S. Department of Energy
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Mine particulate size characterization. Open file report, 1 October 1979-31 December 1981

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6065037
A technique was developed for sampling and analyzing airborne dusts in diesel-operated underground metal and nonmetal mines. Samples were taken using personal respirable samplers, operated as area samplers, and an 11-stage cascade impactor. Real-time particle size distribution and concentration measurements were made with a quartz crystal microbalance cascade impactor and a portable electrical aerosol analyzer. The materials characterized were minerals (by x-ray diffraction), elements (by x-ray fluorescence), particle-size distribution and concentration (gravimetrically), and organic constituents (by high-performance liquid chromatography). The method was used to characterize dusts generated at the chute pulling operations on the main haulage level of an underground tungsten mine. It was concluded that size selective sampling may be used to estimate the ratio of diesel exhaust to nondiesel dusts in the respirable fraction.
Research Organization:
IIT Research Inst., Chicago, IL (USA)
OSTI ID:
6065037
Report Number(s):
PB-86-142163/XAB; IITRI-C-06472
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English