Our mineral reserves

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 867029366

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93011

Document type:: Monograph

Author:: Smith, George Otis http://d-nb.info/gnd/117634530

Title:: Our mineral reserves

Place of publication:: Washington, DC

Publisher:: Gov. Print. Off.

Year of publication:: 1914

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (48 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

MINERAL PRODUCTS. 37 GRAPHITE. Although the value of the graphite imported into the United States in 1913 was almost twice the domestic production, the cutting off of the foreign supply should seriously affect only the crucible industry. There is an ample supply of graphite in this country suited for stove polish, foundry facings, and paint pigments, and large deposits of amorphous graphite in northern Mexico, now com paratively peaceful, are controlled by American firms and can be depended upon for supplies of graphite for pencils, lubricating material, and many other uses. Moreover, graphite is now being manufactured in the electric furnaces at Niagara Falls in amounts far in excess of the domestic production from natural sources, and this graphite is well adapted for most of the uses to which graphite is applied except crucible making. The graphite for which we depend mainly on foreign sources is that used in the manufacture of crucibles and other refractory prod ucts, but as these uses probably consume over half of the graphite used in this country, such dependence is a matter of no small impor tance. Moreover, the manufacture of crucible steel requires graphite crucibles. The graphite used in crucible making has been brought largely from the British island of Ceylon, although within the last few years some has been brought from the French island of Mada gascar. This graphite is flaky or fibrous and for this reason is emi nently adapted to crucible making. For this use it has never met with serious competition from domestic graphite. The earthy amor phous graphite mined in this country and the graphite manufac tured at Niagara Falls are not adapted to this use, and as a rule the expense of concentrating domestic flake graphite has been pro hibitive. Nevertheless it is to the domestic supplies of flake graphite that this country must look in the event of foreign supplies being cut off. Practically inexhaustible supplies of this material are known to occur in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and some other States. Similar deposits are abundant in Canada. The graphite in these deposits occurs as small flakes in rocks composed mainly of quartz, feldspar, and mica, the graphite constituting 5 to 10 per cent by weight. Several plants are now engaged in working such deposits, and many others now idle could be put on a producing basis in a short time and at little expense. Although the product might not be equal to the Ceylon graphite in all respects for crucible making there is Ro question that it would be adequate, for similar graphite has for years been successfully used in Germany. Another American resource is the graphite deposit near Dillon, Mont. The graphite there is very similar to that from Ceylon and

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