The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-03
Uses of Tungsten

Tungsten Is now in demand for in- candeseent lamp filaments. In the form of sodium tungstate a fireproofing of value is produced Tungsten brought joy to the heart of the house. wife in that it fixes dyes so that wash goods will wash. Silk merchants re- joiced. for other tungsten salts added weight to silk
 Tungsten steel is extremely tough. Proiectiles made from it have pene- trated through IA inches of the best armor plate Tungsten compass nee dies are the best on the market.
 In the form of ferrotungstein 1t has produced a highspeed tool steel that was never thought possible by mechan- ics Even pianos have been benefited as tungsten gives added strength and quality to the wires. It's high melting point gives it value in the manufac- ture of the highest grade crucibles.
 Tungsten ores have been melted in electric furnaces. but the problem now is to produce it by direct pig iron blast furnace smelting. The American Smelling and Refining company has re- gently appropriated $10,000 for experi- mental work on the treatment of tung- sten ores.
 Tungsten is now mined in Arizona, California, Nevada. Montana, Idaho and Colorado, which produces 60 per cent of the output. The tungsten belt in Colorado is three miles long and eight miles wide. The worlds production of this ore in 1905 was 3979 tons, in 1906 2404 and in 1907 57s1 tons. The produce tion in Colorado in 1907 was valued at $500, 900. and the market for tungsten has become almost as staple as that for copper, zinc or lead.
 May Rival Tungsten
 possible rival to tungsten is molyb- denum, a metal discovered in ITS, but as yet found in such seant quantities that the uncertainty of the supply makes it commercially second to tungsten. AL loved with steel 1t has the same effects as tungsten. and there is the very great advantage that only half or a third as much is required.
 It's chief use is in the manufacture of chemical reageant. It is highly valued in the artistic world. for in the manufac- ture of pottery the salts impart a fine, rare, blue color An important use is in rife barrels, large cannon, propeller shafts wires and high-speed toll steel.
 Though Tantalum has been known for a century, 1t was not commercially use full until Nissan in 1903 brought it into the limeight through the electric furnace. It is found in the Black Hills of Dakota and it's most important minerals are columbte and tanalite. A small quan- tity has ben kept in this country for experimental work, but the yearly out put, amounting to several tons, has been shipped to Germany.
 The most important use to which tan talum is put is in the manufacture of filaments for incandescent lamps. They were put on the market in Germany in 1905 and in the United States in 1906 The tantalum lamp scores on these three points-high efficiency, ability to with stand high currents and whiteness of light.
 Tantalum pens give promise of being the pen of the future, as they are not only hard and elastic but resist chemical action Steel pens are both hard and elastic. but do not resist chemical ac- ton Gold pens resist chemical action. but are soft and pliable.
 Vanadium in small quantities is dis tributed in sandstones, limestones and igneous osk It's greatest value when alloyed with iron as ferrovanadium. is in the making of steel The addition of from one-tenth to one-half of l per cent of ferrovanadium enormously increases the strength. toughness and elastic limit of steel products.
 Used in Auto Steel The automobile business has greatly increased the market for vanadium. The spars used in Sir Thomas Lptons racing yacht Shamrock H. were of vanadum steel and so were those on Emperor Williams yacht Meteor. In the form of vanadic acid vanadium is used as a mordant in dyeing; in medi- cine under the name of vanadin 1t has use: waterproof black ink is made from vanadades and tannin acid. It is also used in developing photographs in stained glass and in beautiful imitation of gold bronze.
 Uranium, in many respects the most Interesting of all the rare metals, was recognized as an element in 17S2 by the chemist Klaproth. who named 1t after the planet Uranus. The chief ore of uranum Is uraninite. commonly called pitchblende, and from pitchblende comes radirm.
 Rranium is found in Joachimsthal,