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. 43 and strontianite (SrC0 3 ). Strontianite is the more valuable, as by simple treatment with acids it is readily converted into the salts de sired for commercial purposes. It is, however, rarer than celestite and therefore has been mined on a comparatively small scale. Celes tite and strontianite are readily determined before the blowpipe, as both of them have a crimson flame due to the element strontium. Celestite can hardly be assigned a value in the United States, be cause heretofore it has not been found in sufficient quantities and in positions accessible enough to make its exploitation profitable, in view of the scant demand for it. During 1913 no strontium was re ported as mined in the United States. There is a small market for strontium compounds, as is shown by the import figures. No stron tium carbonate, oxide, or protoxide was imported in either 1911 or .1912, but in 1913 the total value of imports of these salts was $2,284. Probably some strontium nitrate was imported for use in " red fire,” but it is not possible to obtain figures of the imports of any salts of strontia except those named above. Nearly all the strontium salts used in the United States are imported from Germany. Strontium occurs also abundantly in Sicily. The metal strontium is not commercially used, but its salts are variously employed. Of these the hydrate and nitrate are of greatest importance. A simple process for obtaining the hydrate is the calcination of the carbonate, strontianite, where that is avail able. The temperature required is much higher than that of ordinary lime burning. Strontium hydrate is used principally in the recovery of sugar from beet molasses. Strontium nitrate is made by dis solving the carbonate in nitric acid, if the native mineral can be procured sufficiently free from other bases that would consume the acid. The carbonate used is sometimes made from the sulphate by fusing it with soda ash and leaching out the sodium sulphate. The chief use of strontium nitrate is in pyrotechny, where it imparts a red color to the flame. The chlorate and carbonate are also used for this purpose, but to a less extent. The chief users are the manufac turers of fireworks and makers of fusees used by railroads and steam ships for night signals. Strontium in the form of the iodide, bromide, acetate, lactate, arsenate, phosphate, and other salts is used as medicine and in the chemical laboratory. Celestite occurs 15 miles south of Gila Bend, Maricopa County, Ariz., associated with gypsum, sandstone, and conglomerates con taining pebbles of coarse-grained granite. It is found in the form of a bed or beds overlain and underlain in some places by beds of sandstone and in others by igneous flows. The bed with which the celestite is directly associated is 40 to 50 feet thick. Of this thick ness the upper 8 to 10 feet looked most promising as a source of the

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Our mineral reserves

Monograph

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation