b e consumed per car for a h i g h e r aggre gate consumption of the m e t a l this year. Use per car is expected to rise from 3 5 pounds in 1956 to 50 p o u n d s i n 1960 and 8 1 pounds b y 1965. • C o p p e r . Sales of c o p p e r have con tinued at a husky clip, a n d prices have remained in t h e 46 to 5 4 cents a p o u n d range. Latest figures o n production of recoverable copper at m i n e s indicate peak monthly rates obtained in January a t 95,505 tons. T h e San M a n u e l Cop per Corp. in Arizona p r o d u c e d its first blister copper in January a n d expects t o reach rated capacity b y mid-year, about a year ahead of schedule. While copper supplies continued scarce, trade spokesmen pointed to a d r o p in de m a n d in recent weeks a n d predict t h a t supply a n d d e m a n d will come abreast before mid-year in the absence of seri ous strikes. Copper deposits t h e world over are being worked, a n d tremendous investments are being m a d e i n n e w mine expansion and development. Africa, Canada, Chile, a n d Peru as well a s t h e U. S. are being exploited for copper. Supplies of copper last year were about 5 % larger chiefly because do mestic mine output g a i n e d 1 9 % , ac cording to the Bureau of Mines. Seri ous work stoppage d u r i n g t h e third quarter affected supplies. Mine out put almost reached 1 million tons, con sumption gained 20% to 1.5 million tons, while prices shot u p to well over 50 cents a pound.
•
BUSINESS
Metals in Tight Supply Nonferrous metals in strong demand for military, commercial use; zirconium contracts uncertain JL H E MERCURIAL METALS BUSINESS h a s
been hard pressed to meet demands of the economy—demands which still show no signs of slackening. Requirements of military and atomic energy pro grams., plus commercial requirements to sustain national construction at this year's peak rate of $35 bilKon have cleaned stocks and forced up prices. Deferrals of metals deliveries to gov ernment agencies have not noticeably eased the situation. ί Aluminum. Demand for alu minum last year rose to almost 2 mil lion tons. In order to fill the demand, most of output from new plants was diverted from the stockpile to commer cial use. Production of primary alu minum increased each quarter of the year- and totaled 1,566,000 tons for an increase of 7%. Imports h a d been scheduled at a high rate but actually dropped to 172,000 tons from 211,000 tons in 1954, and imports from Canada
are still reduced in the first quarter of this year because of a water shortage in Quebec. Thus total supplies in 1955 increased only 4% whereas commer cial demand rose about one third. Pri mary ingot prices were raised twice during the year, and again last m o n t h to the present quote of 25.9 cents a pound. Reasons given by t h e pro ducers a r e : t h e cost of facilities is n o w $1500 per ton of annual capacity; r e cent freight rate increases; and lack of government aid for recent expansion. Over-all increases in capacity last year were small, totaling 140,000 tons for the U. S. and Canada, u p 61/2%Scheduled additions for 1956 include some 86,000 tons for Alcoa, 45,000 tons for Reynolds, a small amount for Kaiser, a n d 112,000 tons for aluminum, a total of 250,000 tons, u p 1 0 V 2 % . The demand for aluminum continues strong; even though automobile p r o duction will drop, more aluminum will
INVENTORIES & SALES CChemical) INCLUDING ALLIED PRODUCTS, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED -*———'—«**·•"•*—_
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CHEMICAL INVENTORIES
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1956
MAGNESIUM
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Production, Primary Ingots Thousands of Torts
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Refined Production Thousands of Short Tons
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^ Titanium. Sponge production of titanium in 1955 reached an estimated 8000 tons, up about 409fc over 1954 production of 5730 tons. Estimated mill products production was placed at 1900 tons compared to 1300 for 1954, with the year-end output approximating a 2500-ton annual rate. Ingot production had reached a 6000-ton annual rate also at the year-end. Some optimism for titanium's future may be read into Titanium Metals' announcement of a 67% increase in sponge capacity, now 3600 tons annually, equal to Du Pont's present capacity. D u Pont's expansion plans appear to b e shelved as governmental assistance no longer seems forthcoming. N o w producers will include Union Carbide, 75O0 tons, and Cramet, 6000 tons, while D o w has been in partial production. • Cobalt. Consumption of cobalt in the U. S. increased one third last year t o 9,741,000 pounds according to the Bureau of Mines. The largest outlet accounting for 33% of consumption was for high temperature alloys, while permanent magnet alloys took 29%. Cobalt imports come mainly from Belgian Congo, Belgium, Canada, and West Germany. • Mercury. Production rose 2% in 1955 to 18,830 flasks while imports fell sharply to 20,647 from 65,316 flasks. Consumption was 34% above 1954 to 57,300 flasks, with most of the increase serving the mercury cell chlorine plant at Muscle Shoals, Ala. Because the metal has developed some vital and strategic uses, N e w Mexican and U. S. mining ventures are springing u p under the umbrella of a current price of $260 a flask. • Zirconium. Trade reports have pointed to National Distillers as the low bidder for contracts t o supply Atomic Energy Commission requirements (C&EN, Jan. 30, page 492.) The AEC had announced that it would accept bids for new production at the annual rate of 400,000 pounds, but requirements were subsequently raised to at least 700,000 pounds. The bidding produced some unusually low bids, considering that Carborundum, the sole commercial producer, has supplied metal at prices in excess of $10 a pound. Probable low bids were in the range of $7.00 to $9.00 a pound, and current thinking in the industry is that contracts will b e negotiated with more than one bidder. The National Distillers bid was probably based on a sodium reduction of zirconium tetrachloride in a continuous process, suggesting low costs with captive sodium production. CHART CREDITS: Inventories and Sales (Chemical), Copper—Department of Commerce; Aluminum—U'. S. Bureau of Mines; Magnesium—Magnesium Association.
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POtYVlNTL CHEMICALS/ "INC.
For more information write on your letterhead to:
Affiliate of Stah! Finish Company 26 Howley Street Peabody, Massachusetts
Best Buy in Colorimeters The o n l y f i l t e r instrument w i t h this t r e m e n d o u s choice of sample sizes . . . 9 cuvette sizes and types « sample volumes from 10 ml to .007 ml. The o n l y c o l o r i m e t e r t h a t offers 4 w a y s t o m e a s u r e . . . both Optical Density and % Transmittance from either galvanometer or potentiometer scales. D i r e c t r e a d i n g . . . interchangeable scale panels you can calibrate to concentrations directly and quickly. PRICE!} AS LOW AS..,
Ask for 64 page manual
sj82ss
/'Coleman Tools for Science'
Coleman Colorimeter Dept. C, Coleman Instruments, Inc., Maywood, III. APRIL
2 3.
1956
C&EN
2055
