The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-05-21
GRAPHITE INDUSTRY IN U. 5.
Some Mined and some Manufactured
But Most Imported.

The natural graphite mined and con-
centrated in the United States is var
liable in amount principally because
the process OF milling flake graphite,
the most abusdant type of domestic
| material, is still in an experimental
stage. Because OF this unreliability OF
the domestic supply most of the large
consumers of graphite prefer TO de-
pend for their supply on imported ma
terial.
In 1911 the quantity OF graphite i'm
ported into the United States for con-
sumption was 20,702 short tons, valued
at sl,495,729. In contrast to this the
total domestic production was S,61S
short tons OF natural graphite. valued
at S2SS,465. and 5.072 short tons of
manufactured graphite valued at $685.
coo.
The great bulk of the graphite i'm
ported into the United States comes
from the island OF Ceylon, and the
United states has for many years been
the principal market for this ceylon
product. Considerable amounts of gra-
phite are also imported into the Unit
ed States from Mexico and within the
last few years graphite from Chosen
tKorea) has entered the market
Ceylon and Korean Graphite.
Information concerning the Ceylon
graphite deposits has been widely scat
tered through Obscure publications but
is now made available TO American
readers in the form of summary of
existing knowledge of these deposits,
appearing in a report OF the United
States Geological Survey--"Producti
of Graphite in 1911" by Edison S. Bas-
tin. This report contains also a de-
scription of the Korean deposits, gem
eral information in regard to the char
| acter, origin, and uses Of graphite, and
statistics of domestic and foreign pro-
duction and importations.
There are three general classes of
graphite-natural crystalline or flake
graphite. natural amorphous graphite,
and manufactured graphite, which is of
the amorphous type. Graphite is a
! mineral of great and increasing indus
trial importance and is applied to many
uses, though the graphite from any
one source or mine Is never adapted to
| all these uses.
CrueitIes Made Of Flake Graphite.
One of the Oldest and most important
applications Of graphite is in the manu-
facture OF trucibles for use in the steel
brass and bronze, and other industries
Such crucibles must have good tensil,
| strength ana for their manufacture q
hbrous or haky graphite is used, the
interlocking Of the fibers adding TO the
strength. Ground Geylon lump graph
lite is the material most in favor in the
United States for making crucibles. all
though small amounts of American
lake graphite are also used. Amor
phous graphite has never been sue
cessfully utilized in crucfble manufac
ture, except for very small crucihles.
The difference in. the grades Of gra-
phite is shown by the values placed
on the production of different coun-
| tries.
| In 1909 Italy was the largest producer
of graphite, with 4,s75 tons. valued at
s32O,2S9. The United States produced
only S.243 tons. but this was valued
at $@45.509. Ccylon. however, beats
the world In the value Of graphite pro-
duction. This little island produced
2G.056 tons end 1t was valued at S3,-
| 337,751 OF this the United States int
ported more than one-third.