Evening star., 1902-08-29
PLATINUM VERY SCARCE.
Needed in Electrical Work, Supply
Does Not Meet Demand.
From Engineering.


A good deal Of concern has been expressed
In the last year or 50 on the subject of plat
mum. and the course Of production to meet
the growing demand. 1t is beyond doubt
that the supply is not increasing-if It is in
creasing at all--at anything like the same
rate as the consumption: and If this position
is not rectif1ed and the balance readtusted
1t is easy to forsee time when enterprises
which depend upon platinum will languish
for want Of the material which 1t will be
impossible to secure in adequate quantities,
even at famine prices. Legislation in the
reichstag of the fatherland has a way of
being grandfartheEly at times, but in the
circumstances there Is much to be said for
the bill which was under consideration not
long ago with the object of obtaining
legal prohibition Of the use of platinum
where 1t could be replaced without serious
Inconvenience by some other metal and to
limit its consumption to cases where its
employment Is essential.
1t Is not easy to see how such an enact
ment as this could be enforced strictly,
doubtedly WISE; besides, the restricted use
OF platinum In one country would go q
very little way, to remedy situation that
Is becoming acute In all manufacturing
countries. For the metal is in great re-
paratus andofor electrical engineering gen
orally, as well AS for Numerous other pur-
poses for which no effective substitute has
been found Ih'sss .a's;h 3 no good reason to
ant anticlpate Aas actAsi t exhaustion Of supplies,
gress Of alaetrieifys the gulf between de-
mand and saupplN may become wider and
wider. -.sff.-a.1 ! -.
semsthins iks & g O. per cent Of last years
with Il, $50 pounds for 1900. came from Rus
sia. and while IT p probable that scientific
exploitation of the, whole of the Urals would
lead to thes discovery of other sources of
supply. it Is pretty, clear that in the govern
ment OF Perm ltt1e enough progress is be-
ing made In spite of the profitableness of
the industrEo Perhaps the sparseness Of the
distribution 8ccounts largely for this The
metal is obtained from alluvial deposits or
up to four tA FIVE szolotniks the zolotnik is
equa platinflm- -hearing sands. which fire.
quently includes gold, and which vary In
occurrence up to four to five zolotniks (the
zolotnik is equal to 66 grains Troy) and
more in 100 poods of sand (3,61O pounds)
The thickness or the beds ranges from
three feet to seven feet. The grains of
metal are small. in size, but sometimes mug
gets weighing q kilogram or more are un-
earthed The platinum is often accompa-
MED by aotker rare metals, such as iridium
ana ossaaium.e Il Is sent to St Petersburg
In the crude state,r and, although there are
relneries in that city, very little is dealt
with there, and, as the demand for the
metal Is almost entirely from abroad, the
bulk Is exported as 1t is received from the
mines.
We have been told to look to New South
waless as an important source OF supply.
and probably with scientific exploitation.
the Investment OF a reasonable amount OF
capital and the diversion Of miners from
gold seeking that colony would be OF use
In supplying the worlds requirements. The
metal there Is obtained chiefly from the
Fifeld district, about 322 miles west of sgd