down 11.3% over this period, and in Japan, 23.5%. Recovery in paper and paperboard production in these countries is still lagging behind the U.S." The Canadian slack in paper, aggravated by strikes, helped push up U.S. production. API says that 1975 paper exports to Canada from the U.S. jumped 59% over 1974 for the months of July through October. Similarly, news print imports from Canada, tradi tionally important for U.S. con sumers, were down 24% during this period. This drop, API notes, no doubt contributed to the strength in U.S. newsprint, which was one of the three paper grades staying close to 1974 production levels. The other two areas are tissue and paperboard milk carton stock. Contributing further to progress in paper last year was a better bal ance of inventories and sales. De partment of Commerce figures show this ratio falling to 1.28 in October for paper and allied products after a high of 1.60 in March. α
Additive cuts cattle feed needs 10% A new cattle feed additive said to improve feed efficiency about 10% has been cleared by the Food & Drug Administration for use in feedlot cattle. The additive, Rumensin (monensin sodium), was de veloped by Eli Lilly & Co. It will be marketed by Elanco, Lilly's agri cultural division. In tests performed by Lilly and by several universities, cattle fed Rumensin at a rate of 30 grams per ton of total ration, on average, re quired 8.46 lb of feed per pound of weight gain, compared to 9.46 lb of feed per pound of gain in animals not fed the additive. Cattle won't eat more than they need, Elanco says, so a typical animal, fattened from 700 to 1050 lb in the feedlot, would eat 350 lb less feed. At about $100 a ton for feed, that's a gross saving of $17.50 per animal. De ducting the cost of the Rumensin ($2.22) and minor charges leaves a net saving of about $15 per head. Rumensin is not a hormone, Elan co points out. Unlike diethylstilbestrol, for example, it can be used right up to marketing time. It leaves no detectable residues and has no effect on the quality or com position of the meat. Instead, the additive works by altering the di gestive process in the beef animal's rumen. 6
C&ENJan. 5, 1976
In the rumen, enzymes convert cellulose and starch to sugars. Anerobic bacteria convert the sugars to pyruvic acid and then to volatile fatty acids. These fatty acids— mainly acetic, propionic, and buty ric—are the ruminant animal's source of energy. Normally, the rumen bacteria produce about 60% acetic acid, 10% butyric, and 30% propionic. With Rumensin added to the feed, propionic acid increases to about 40%, and acetic drops to 52% and butyric to 8%. In conversion to acetic and butyric acids, some of the energy contained in the sugars is wasted in formation of carbon dioxide and methane, which the cattle belch to the atmosphere. No gases are formed in the production of propionic acid, so more of the original energy is available to the animal. That's what happens, Lilly says, but it doesn't yet know why. Mon ensin, made by a fermentation pro cess, is by strict definition a polyether antibiotic; a different form of the chemical is used to control coccidiosis in broiler chickens. How ever, Lilly says that Rumensin has no strong antibacterial activity, and there's no good evidence that it alters the bacterial content in the rumen. D
China's mineral wealth assessed "China is one of the world's rich mineral areas, fully capable of sup porting a modern first-rank indus trial economy," according to a just-released report. In 1974, it was one of the top three world producers for eight major indus trial minerals, and it is in the top five for overall output value of crude minerals. Furthermore, the report says, China's production "should grow significantly in the decade ahead, judging from the resource potential and the many developments al ready under way," and give it eventual industrial parity with the U.S., U.S.S.R., Japan, and West Europe. For example, it may be come one of the five largest oil producers in the 1980's. Its natural gas potential is excellent, and its coal output is nearly on a par with that of the U.S. and U.S.S.R. The report, titled "The Peo ple's Republic of China—A New Industrial Power with a Strong Mineral Base," is an up-to-date survey of China's overall mineral and energy position, notes its
China is among top world producers of many minerals Thousands of metric tons, 1974
Output
Coal Iron ore Salt Cement Phosphate rock Pyrite Manganese ore Magnesite Fluorspar Barite Asbestos Tin Antimony Tungsten Mercury Bismuth
450,000 60,000:1 25,000 25,000" 3,000 2,000 1,000 1,000 270 200 160 20 12 8.5" 0.90 0.27
World rank
3 5 2 7 5 3 Τ 4 6 8 3 5 3 1 3 5
a Calculated at 50% iron-grade equivalent. b Estimated as between 20 million and 30 million metric tons, c Tungsten content of concentrate. Source: Study by K. P. Wang for Bureau of Mines
author, Dr. Kung Ping Wang of the Office of International Data & Analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. China has never pub lished comprehensive economic or industrial statistics, and Wang's estimates are based on fragmentary data and evaluations from many sources. The report points out that China's export metals, famous for decades, are again reaching world markets ($150 million sales in 1974). The nation leads the world in tungsten production, for instance, and is thought to have the largest reserves of tungsten and antimony. It also exports tin, manganese, bismuth, and mercury. On the other hand, China cur rently imports nickel, chromium, aluminum, copper, lead, and zinc. However, the country has sizable developable deposits of copper, aluminum, and possibly other metals. U.S.-China trade in metals and minerals is expanding rapidly, notes Nicholas Ludlow of the National Council for U.S.-China Trade. For example, in the first 10 months of 1975, Ludlow says, the U.S. bought $32.4 million worth of tin—the largest single import from China last year by far. Stepping up contacts in this area, the council will host a dele gation from the China National Metals & Minerals Import & Ex port Corp. later this month. First in its field to visit the U.S., the six-member group will tour the U.S. for seven weeks, discussing sales of tin, tungsten, antimony, rare earths, and other minerals, and possibly purchases. G
