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Nickel and Boron in Demand Increased output required for both military and commercial uses; two companies dominate output J.Ν A NEW AGE of rare and strategic metals, two metals which have been around for some time have been mak ing news recently. Nickel prodμcers have been hard pressed to meet the de mand but were able to increase output some 10% last year to about 427 mil lion pounds. This production estimate was provided by John F. Thomp son, chairman of International Nickel Co. of Canada, which delivered a rec ord total of 285 million pounds of nickel in all forms, about two thirds of the free world total. Canadian firms, Falconbridge Nickel along with Inco as the major ones, pro duced 347 million pounds or 81% of the total, a gain of 24 million pounds, while other countries in the lists in cluded Cuba with 7% of the free world production, New Caledonia 5%, Japan 3%, United States 2%, and other coun tries the balance, according to Thomp
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son. Gains in total output have amounted to 47 million pounds in 1954, 40 million in 1955, and an expected 15 million this year to bring production to 442 million pounds in 1956, a gain of 65% over 1949 output. • Pinch in Supplies· Increased de fense requirements and the needs of the strategic stockpile created a pinch on supplies for the commercial market in the U. S., a pinch which was further aggravated by the trend toward larger areas of bright metal in passenger cars together with the high rate of car pro duction, according to Thompson. The U. S. Government diverted to industry 24 million pounds of scheduled nickel purchases for the stockpile, but some consumers found it necessary to pay premium prices to secure supplies. Alloys containing nickel have met stringent requirements of the super ma terials needed for airplane gas turbines
and jet engines. High nickel alloys, some containing more than 70% nickel in complex alloys, have high tempera ture properties along with good strength and ductility, and are in some cases resistant to special types of corro sion. A s a result, jet engines and gas turbines use two to three times as much nickel a s is found in the largest piston engine. • Expansion. Larger nickel supplies are expected from Falconbridge which is engaged in a program designed to increase capacity to 55 million pounds or more by 1960. Expansions in Cuba by the U, S. Government at Nicaro will provide a 75% increase in capacity over t h e plant's current capacity of 28 million pounds, while Freeport Sulphur will pilot a nickel-cobalt recovery proc ess from ores at Moa Bay, Cuba. • Iron Ore. International Nickel is now proving out a process for nickel and iron ore from nickeliferous pyrrhotite, with the nickel content removed by an atmospheric pressure ammonia leaching process. Planned expansion at the plant site, Copper Cliff, Ont., will provide an annual output of 1 mil lion tons of iron ore containing 65% iron. ί Metallurgy. Extractive metallurgy is n o w making rapid strides. New minerals beneficiation techniques repre senting substantial improvements over existing flotation processes are now available, and employ liquid-liquid ex-
EMPLOYMENT (Chemicals)
CHARTS
THOUSANDS OF WORKERS
ISlS&jsagiSF WEmffl&^t&mwt&s
TRENDS
386
ALUMINUM
MAGNESIUM
COPPER
Primary Production Thousands of Short Ton;
Production, Primary tngotj Thousands of Torts
RefôxxJ Production
C&EN
JAN.
2 3,
1956
Threicrxrw+t at Short ΤΛΤΚ
tractions using chemical reagents. Length processing operations encoun tered with flotation are avoided, and high purities are usually obtained. • Boron. Probably the world's most important deposit o f borax is located in the Kramer district around Boron, Calif. T h e owner, Pacific Coast Borax Co., division of Borax Consolidated Ltd., has recently announced plans for converting its present system of min ing borate ore to open-pit mining at the property, as well as the construc tion of $18 million concentrating and refining plants at the site. These plants will produce borate concentrates re quired for the export trade and refined borax for both domestic and foreign markets. Pacific Coast's refinery operations have been conducted at Wilmington, Calif., some 135 miles distant from the mine. By concentrating refining opera tions at the mine site, freight savings will be realized, and the Wilmington refinery will b e free to produce boric acid, Boraxo, and other specialty prod ucts. The * productive capacity of the new plants will be substantially greater than for existing plants. Aside from increasing productive capacity, the program is expected t o effect greater recoveries b y conversion to open-pit mining and t o permit the use of lower grades of ore. The new concentrator-refinery will depart from conventional magnetic separation proc ess in favor of a wet process. r κα isorite. The Kramer deposit contains a crystalline sodium borate called raisorite, reserves of which have been estimated at more than 100 mil lion tons with an average boric acid content of 40%. The stripping of over burden will begin shortly, and conver sion to open-pit operation will b e com pleted b y mid-1957 when the refinery is completed. There are many facets of interest t o the boron story, not the least of which is the possible application of alkalimetal borohydrides as rocket fuels. Among the other growing uses for boron are applications for the element in atomic energy, utilizing its neutron absorbing properties to advantage, and as an alloying agent with aluminum t o increase the latter's electrical conduc tivity for possible replacement of cop per wire. Major outlets for boron are still applications of the inorganic bo rates in glass, ceramics, and glazes. But recent emphasis by Pacific Coast Borax and American Potash on organo boron compounds may serve to expand volume, as will military and atomic energy uses, and permit lower prices. CHART CREDITS: Employment (Chemicals)— Department or Labor; Magnesium—M agnesium Association ; Copper—Department of Commerce; Aluminum—Aluminum Association.
Odor a n d Color Development in ALKYL ARYLS Problem: Prevent odor and color reversion H»,-,-«„ Γ 1 Π ε aging of dried alkyl aryff Solution: Protection against odor and color deeraChieVed b y t h e C ™ndSiQ ο? & Compound 19 percentagesedition as low as a n Com
slurry.
P°und 19 to neutralized
Note: The compound i s compatible with additives such as perfumes and sequestering agents. §>
ratiTOR:
Industrial Aromatics and Chemicals
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