CURRENT INDUSTRIAL NEWS B y W. A HAMOR
in exploration. The Union Sulfur Co. produced in 1912 more sulfur than the entire world consumed. No Sicilian crude was imported in 1912, although a few thousand tons of refined sulfur came from t h a t source, and probably about the normal amount was imported from Japan a t Pacific ports. A quiet year was experienced by the importers of pyrites; the domestic mines supplied about 300,000 tons, or less than 2 j per cent. of the norIN 1912 mal consumption of the United States, but, due to the overPRODUCTION extension of the phosphate industry in 1911,the 1912 demand 1,242,836,024 was light.
UNITED STATES STATISTICS FOR 1912 Number 2 of Volume 95 of The Engineering and iMining Journal contains a comprehensive treatment of many of the minor and major minerals and metals, giving statistics of production for 1912, and reviewing progress in various departments of metallurgy. An abstract of this entire number follows. PRODUCTIOS
OF
MET.4l.S I S
THE
VXlTED STATES
UNIT
METAL
Pounds Long tons Dollars Long tons Short tons Pounds Flasks (75 pounds) Troy ounces Short tons
Copper1 Ferromanganese Gold2 Iron Lead3 Nickel’ Mercury Silver2 Zinc6
202,186 91,685,168 29,445,068 418,224 33,311.233 25,1475 62,369,901 347,922
From ore originating in the U. S. Preliminary statistics reported by Director of Mint. Refined lead from ore and scrap originating in the f.S. Antimonial lead included. 4 Imports for first 10 months of 1912. This nickel is refined in the U. S. for t h e production of metal, oxide, and salts. 5 Reported b y E. S. Geological SunTey. 6 Total production of smelters, except those treating dross and junk exclusively : includes spelter derived from imported ore. 1
3
MINERAL
AND
CHEMIC.4L
SUBSTANCE Arsenic Coal, anthracite’ Coal, bituminous‘ Coke’ Copper sulfate Iron ore Petroleum Tungsten ore
PRODUCTION
OF
THE
UNITED STATES
UNIT Pounds Short tons Short tons Short tons Pounds Long tons Barrels (42 gallons) Short tons
IN
1912
METAL
PRODUCTION O F T H E
~
IMPORTS $24,646,197 i5 576 49,022 18,332,894
EXPORTS $14,587,631 7,163,165 5 I 643,952 1,624,562
THE INCREASED USE O F CHARCOAL IRON
~
WORLD I N 1912
UNIT
PRODUCT Chemical products Window glass Plate glass Iron and steel
PRODUCTION Some very good work (A. I. Findley, The Foundry, 40, j34) 5,852,000 has been done recently in the direction of giving charcoal iron 511,961,403 a larger place in car wheel and special mixtures. There have 427 655 966 41,803,199 been some results, and the demand upon the railroads for freight 39,480,741 car wheels which will better stand the heavy service of recent 59,485,477 years is assisting the movement. However, cost is so controlling 218,970,815 a n influence in railroad buying t h a t the low level of coke pig 1,2902
Estimates of Coal A g e . Reported b y U. S. Geological Sun-ey.
METAL
THE CHEMICAL ACTIVITIES O F BELGIUM There are I O zinc works, producing 48.450 metric tons of finished zinc, and 13 zinc foundries, producing 198,230 metric tons of rough zinc, in operation in Belgium. In the Province of Hainaut there were 2 , O j 7 coke ovens in operation in 1911, consuming 2,698,480 metric tons of coal. Other statistics for 1911follow:
PRODUCTION
Gold1 Dollars 469,618,083 Silver* Fine ounces 229,s 69,903 Copper3 Metric tons 1,004,844 Tin4 Long tons 114,196 322,000 Platinum5 Ounces The Transvaal furnished 40.1 per cent. of t h e total, the United States supplied 19.5 per cent., and Australasia 12.1 per cent. 2 London continues t o be t h e chief silver market of the world. Mexico is t h e largest produter, having contributed 76,500,000 fine ounces in 1912; t h e production of Canada was 35,250,000 fine ounces in 1912. 3 Figures are based upon crude copper, i. e., t h e smelters’ production. T h e United States supplies over half of the world’s production. 4 The visible stocks of tin on December 31, 1912, were reported t o be 10,977 long tons. The average price during the year was 46.096 cents per pound as against 42.281 cents in 1911. 6 Includes productions of Russia (310,000 ounces) and Colombia (12,000 ounces). Small quantities are also obtained in British Columbia and Australia. b u t the amount is unimportant.
*
There were 60,178,477 tons of iron ore consumed in the United States in 1912, and the production of pig iron amounted t o 29,647,274 tons. The following table shows the production for 1912 classified according to the uses for which it was intended: Foundry and forge.. . . . . . . . . . 5,965,591 Bessemer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,740,055 Basic.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,386, 176 Charcoal.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353,266 Spiegel and Ferro.. . . . . . . . . . . 202,186 T o t a l . , . . . . . . . . . . . 29,647,274 tons
The sulfur industry in 1912 \\-as marked by new activities
iron has held down the charcoal product, and much is yet t o be done t o secure recognition for i t on the score of quality. In chilled work and for castings requiring a special selection of raw material, charcoal iron is making headway, and the outlook has been sufficiently promising t o encourage some additions t o the capacity of Michigan charcoal furnaces in the past three years. Lately, Mayari pig iron, which owes its properties to a small content of nickel and chromium, has been offered as a component of chilled roll mixtures and for castings requiring special strength. A new process for making charcoal wrought iron is being operated by a works near Philadelphia, P a . An open hearth furnace is used; it is first heated b y oil o r gas, and then a layer of charcoal is spread on t h e hearth and the charge of pig iron is placed on t o p of it. The iron is covered with a layer of charcoal, then cold air from tuyeres bums the charcoal, melts and boils t h e iron in t h e customary manner. The fused metal runs through t h e lower layer of charcoal, and more charcoal is added as required. The impurities are oxidized b y t h e usual cold blast. The product is said t o have high purity.-W. 4 . H.
GILLED TUBING “Sauerbier” patent spiral-gilled tubing for heating, drying and refrigerating plants is being manufactured in Germany from seamless Siemens-Martin steel tubes with corrugated spiral gills, the whole being galvanized. It is claimed t h a t this tubing has a large heating surface combined with great strength. THE TOXICITY OF WHITE LEAD Line (Drugs, Oils and Paints, 28, 2 5 5 ) reports t h a t a large decrease in plumbism in the manufacture of white lead has followed the abolition of female labor and youthful labor in England. The decrease is also consequent on ventilation, the
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