The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-10-17
SOME STATISTICS
ON GRAPHITE.
pAnse Mine Rapidly Coming Into
Lime Light Through Extensive
Output by Its Owners,
the Detroit Graph
lite Co.

About ten miles south of this village
is located and in operation today, the
source of one of the greatest ingredi-
ents in the production of Lake Super
ior Graphite Paint" an article which
is being made and placed on the market
by the Detroit Graphite Co., that of
the amorphus graphite, which supplies
the pigment for the company's product
Today the mine is being worked upon
the most extensive scale in its history,
story of which our readers will recall
as having appeared in recent issue of
this paper.
Many of our subscribers, even though
the mine is only a stones throw from
them, are as ignorant Of the construc-
tion of this mineral as though it were a
thousand miles away, and due to this
fact we delight at this time in quoting
the results obtained through study by
prominent geologists in solving its hid
den properties. Concerning L'Anse
graphite it is said
''The L'Anse graphite rock is ground
for use in paint. The distinction be-
tween crystalline and amorphous (non
crystalline) graphite is, however, not
easily defined. Some of the graphite
that is termed amorphous differs from
the crys talline only in the microscopic
size of the fakes; on the other hand,
amorphous graphite may be more close
ly related to anthracite coal than to
crystalline graphite An example of
this is found in the Rhode Island depos-
it, which was formerly known as an
thracite coal, but which now furnishes
commercial graphite.
The purest graphite is carbon with
0.05 to 0.20 per cent of hydrogen, but
the commercial grades of crystalline
graphite contain clayey impurities, even
the best, such as some of that from
Ceylon, comprising as high as II per
cent of ash.
Artificial graphite was first put on
the market in 1907. and its production
has increased steadily each year since
that time. Although manufactured by
a single company, the output for 1907
was of greater value than that of the
combined production of fake and amor
phous graphite. The material was
first manufactured for use in electroly-
tic processes, but it is now sold for
many of the purposes for which crystal
line graphite is used.
Graphite has been found in all of the
eastern and many of the western states
in which crystalline rocks occur, and in
most of these the deposits have been at
times actively prospected. In 1907 the
commercial output came from nine
states and one territory Alabama,
Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan,
Nevada. New Jersey, New York, Penn
sylvania and Wisconsin. All was
classed as amorphous except that of
New Jersey, New York and Pennsyl-
vania. Considerable interest was man
ifested in the Alaskan deposits, which
are located 40 miles northwest of Nome
and which appear to be much purer
than most, if not all, of those worked
in the states. These deposits are not
far from comparatively cheap transpor-
tation.
Flake graphite to the amount of
4,947, $40 pounds, valued at $171, 149:
amorphous graphite to the amount of
26, 803 short tons, valued at $125, 821;
and artificial graphite to the amount of
6, 500, 900 pounds, valued at $48l ,239,
were produced in the United States in
1907, according to F. L. Hess, of the
United States Geological Survey, whose
statistical report on the industry has
just been published as an advance chap
ter of Mineral Resources of the Unit
States, Calendar year 1907" The do
mestic production was, however, almost
equalled in quantity and was far ex-
celled in value by the imports, which
amounted to 22, 939 short tons, valued
at 81, III, 389, so that the total value of
the natural and artificial graphite con-
sumed in this country. during the year
was apparently 81, 555. .598. For the
last few years small quantity of
graphite has been exported, but the
value of these exports for 1907 is not
known.
As indicated by the above statistics,
three distinct varieties of graphite are
on the market--crystalline Tor fiake),
amorphous and artificial. All are used
to some extent for the same purposes,
but there are some uses to which each
kind is especially adapted The coars-
er and purer forms of crystalline
graphite and chip graphite, are used for
the manufacture Of crucibles, pencils,
lubricants and electrotypes. Cheaper
grades of crystalline graphite, known
as dust and sweepings, are used In the
manufacture Of stove polish, foundry
facings, paints, etc. Amorphous graph
ite Is used for purposes where purity is
not a prime requisite. Thus q graphite
rock mined in Georgia is ground and
put into phosphates used for fertilizer,
as black color II demanded by con-
sumers on the supposition that it means
better quality"