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Mine Gases: Category of Gases Physics of Gases Exposure Limits Measurement of Gases Mine Gases Smoke & Damps

This document provides an overview of mine gases, including their categories, physics, exposure limits, measurement, components, and effects. It describes noxious, toxic, and explosive gases that may be present in mines, such as methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrogen dioxide. Their chemical formulas, properties, sources, and health impacts on workers are summarized. The document also discusses smoke, particulates, and various "mine damps" like black damp and white damp.

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Agha Shafi Jawaid Khan
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78 views18 pages

Mine Gases: Category of Gases Physics of Gases Exposure Limits Measurement of Gases Mine Gases Smoke & Damps

This document provides an overview of mine gases, including their categories, physics, exposure limits, measurement, components, and effects. It describes noxious, toxic, and explosive gases that may be present in mines, such as methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and nitrogen dioxide. Their chemical formulas, properties, sources, and health impacts on workers are summarized. The document also discusses smoke, particulates, and various "mine damps" like black damp and white damp.

Uploaded by

Agha Shafi Jawaid Khan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MINE GASES

 Category of Gases
 Physics of Gases
 Exposure Limits
 Measurement of Gases
 Mine Gases
 Smoke & Damps
Category of Gases
 Noxious: Asphixsiant due to lack of Oxygen

 Toxic: Poisonous-short or long exposure


Physics of Gases
 Specific Gravity/Vapor Density: The weight of a ratio of a specific
gas compared to the same ratio of air.(Air = 1.000)
 Temperature: Cold gases will diffuse slowly, hot gases will diffuse
quickly.
 Graham's Law: The rate of diffusion, the lower the specific gravity,
the faster it will diffuse.
 Barometric Pressure: The lower the pressure, the faster a gas will
diffuse.
 Solubility: The ability to dissolve in water(taste and/or smell)
Exposure Limits
 Threshold Limit Value (TLV)- The amount of a gas exposure
for an 8 hour day for 5 days a week without any harmful effects.
 Ceiling Limit- The amount of gas at no time a person can be
exposed to.
 Immediately dangerous to life or health(IDLH)- The
maximum concentration of a gas, in case of SCBA failure, one
could escape without any irreversible health effects.
Measurement of Gases

Parts Per Million (PPM)- The most accurate


measurement of a contaminant in the atmosphere.
(4)
PERCENT PPM
1.0 ........................................10,000
.1 .....................................… 1,000
.01 ...................................… 100
.001 ..................................… 10
.0001 ................................… 1
Mine Gases & their Components

 AIR
• Chemical Formula: None
• Specific Gravity: 1.000
• Source: Atmosphere
• Characteristics: No color, odor, or taste
• Pure dry air at sea level contains the following:
– Oxygen...................... 20.94 %
– Nitrogen..............…... 78.09 %
– Argon........................ 0.94%
– Carbon Dioxide......... 0.03%
Oxygen
• Chemical Formula: O2
• Specific Gravity: 1.105
• Oxygen will not burn or explode
• Source: Atmosphere
• Characteristics: No color, odor or taste
• Note: When another gas is introduced into the atmosphere
of artificial environment, such as a mine, tunnel or man
holes, oxygen is usually displaced causing asphyxiation.
Oxygen Present % Effect

 21% Breathing Easiest


 19.5% Minimum required by law
 17% Breathing faster & deeper
 16.25% Minimum required by law
 15% Dizziness, buzzing noise, rapid pulse,
headache, blurred vision
 9% Unconsciousness
 6% Breathing stops, cardiac arrest
Noxious Gases (Explosive)
 Methane
• Chemical Formula: CH4
• Specific gravity: 0.555
• Needs 12.5% O2 to ignite
• Explosive Range: 5-15%
• Ignition Temperature: 1100o-1300o F
• Source: Carbon products decaying in anoxic environment
• Characteristics: No color, odor or taste
• Heavy Hydrocarbons (LEL)
• Ethane Propane Butane
• C2H6 C3H8 C4H10
• 1.05 1.56 2.01
• 3.0-12.5% 2.12-9.35% 1.86-8.41%
• All have a gassy odor
Hydrocarbons (con’t)

 Acetylene
• Chemical Formula: C2H2
• Specific Gravity: 0.9107
• Explosive Range: 2.4-83%
• Ignition Temperature: 581oF
• Source: Methane heated in a low oxygen atmosphere
• Hydrogen
• Chemical Formula: H2
• Specific Gravity: 0.0695
• Needs 5% oxygen to ignite
• Explosive Range: 4.1-74%
• Ignition temperature: 1030o - 1130oF
• Source: Water on super hot fires, battery charging
Noxious Gases(Non Explosive)
 Nitrogen
• Chemical formula: N2
• Specific Gravity: 0.967
• Ceiling Limit: 810,00 ppm
• Source: Atmosphere, released from coal seam
• Characteristics: No color, odor, or taste
• Carbon Dioxide
• Chemical Formula: CO2
• Specific Gravity: 1.529
• Ceiling Limit: 1.5%
• IDLH: 50,000 ppm
• Source: Product of complete combustion, slow oxidation of carbon products
• Characteristics: No color or odor, acidic taste above 10%
Toxic Gases(Explosive)
 Carbon Monoxide
• Chemical Formula: CO
• Specific Gravity: 0.967
• Needs 6% O2 to ignite
• Ignition Temperature: 1100oF
• Explosive Range: 12.5- 74%
• TLV: 50 ppm
• Ceiling Limit: 200 ppm
• IDLH: 1500 ppm
• Source: Incomplete combustion, diesels, gasoline engines
• Characteristics: No color, odor, or taste
• Effect on the body: 300 times more attracted to hemoglobin than oxygen,
forms carboxyhemoglobin which prevents oxidation of cells
Carbon Monoxide

% Blood Satuation Symptoms

1-10 None(Everyday exposure)

10-20 Tightnes across forehead, slight


headache
20-30 Headache, throbbing temples

30-40 Severe, headache, weakness,


nausea, & collapse
40-50 Same as above, but more intense

50-60 Coma

60-80 Death
Toxic Gases (Explosive) con’t.

 Hydrogen Sulfide
• Chemical Formula: H2S
• Specific Gravity: 1.191
• Ignition Temperature: 700oF
• TLV: 10 ppm
• Ceiling limit: 15 ppm
• IDLH: 300 ppm
• Source: Sulfur dissolving in water in a poorly ventilated area
• Characteristics: Colorless, sweet taste, rotten egg smell
• Effect on the body: Paralysis of respiratory system
Toxic Gases (Non-Explosive)
 Nitrogen Dioxide
• Chemical Formula: NO2
• Specific Gravity: 1.589
• TLV: 1 ppm
• Ceiling Limit: 3 ppm
• IDLH: 50 ppm
• Source: Explosives after-product, diesel exhaust
• Characteristics: Burnt powder odor, reddish brown in high concentrations
• Effect on the body: Forms nitric acid in lungs causing pulmonary edema
Toxic gases(con’t)

 Sulfur Dioxide
• Chemical Formula: SO2
• Specific Gravity: 2.264
• Source: Burning of sulfide ores, diesel exhaust, gob fires
• TLV: 5 ppm
• Ceiling Limit: 10 ppm
• IDLH: 100 ppm
• Characteristics: Heavy sulfur odor
• Effect on the body: Same as nitrogen dioxide
Smoke

 Tiny particles of solid and liquid matter suspended in air as a


result of combustion
 Diesel Particulate Matter
 By-products of burning belts
 Carbon materials
 Usually noxious and toxic gases are present
 Can be carcinogen(cancer causing)
Mine damps

 The word damp is a derivative of the German word “damf”


which means vapor. It was used by the immigrant German
miners in the anthracite fields to describe a certain atmosphere
condition.
• Black damp: Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and low oxygen.
• White damp: Carbon monoxide
• Fire damp: Methane
• Stink damp: Hydrogen Sulfide
• After damp: By-products of a fire or explosion.

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