Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-09-30
INCREASED DEMAND
FOR vANADIUM
FOR STEEL
Scarcity of Supply Adds I'm
portance to New Mexico
Product; Report by Geolo-
gioal Survey.
Especial Correspondence to the Hera,di

[ special Correspondence Co the Herald
Washington. SeIt. Nanadium
added 10 steel lmparts great resistance
Ia shock aud 10 the fatigue" caused
through. constant bending; and the
high-carbon yunadium stecls make
mach better tools, such as saws, cut
tiers and rlvetinR dies. The use Of
vUnndum IN east iron N nlso said
to be- beneficial Metaynaadic acid
has been used To some extent as a
substitute for gold bronze in paint
vanadium chloride IN used IN fabric
printing, ana yanudium trloNide In
dyeing
The United states geological survey
has Just published report tBullttin
I3N-k) entitled "Nutcs on NHnadium
Deposits In Colorado. Utah aud New
Mexico by Frank l.. Hess. This
bulletin IL of Interest be9ause of the
scarcity of sources from which va
nadium can be- obtained at cost
which will allow it's profitable use
In the arts ana because of the greatly
Increased demand caused by the use
of vanndum IN steel manufacture.
The report covers studies made by
Mr.. Hess uf deposits near Placorville,
Colo. near Green River, Utah. and In
the sierra de lls Caballos, y. NJ.
Late In the nineties dull green
sandstone In the steep valley walls
near i'iHyvtti,,y, colo. was found 10
be- vanndifcrous. and although It's
percentage OF vanadium IL low,
the deposits have become OF CONNER
ciai value owing 20 the increasing use
81 the metal ana ia the large guam
ties OF vuuadifcruup sandstone avail
able. The known Nanadium deposits
OF the PluccrNile region extend
through distance of little more
than nine miles pnuth and east from
Brown "a RIO Grandc southern ruil-
road station ON Leopard creek, four
miles above placoryllic. TO point
on Bear creek three miles south OF
Newmirc Tho deposits occur on both
sides Of Leopard creek. extending
with short Interruptions Co the valley
OF the river, thence they follow the
river irregularN 60 a point north OF
Sawpit Some deposits occur on the
east side 0t Fall creek, extending FOR
a distance Of about "a mile above the
mouth, ana others are found on the
south side OF san Miguel river for a
mile or more above Fail creek. In
thickness the deposits range from ono
or two inches Ia over thirty feet
From present developments probably
only a few thousand tons of ore ear
rying over three per cent ~ vanndium
can be mined profitably. but there are
many thousands of tons of vnnndlum-
bearing sandstone which viii show
between one ana two per cent Of me-
tallio vanadium and much more run
ming between 0.5 and I per cent. SUI
ficiont ore has been mined In this
area ana Co loss extent In the car
hottie fields forty or fifty miles TO
the west 90 cause the price 20 be re-
duced In the last three or four years
from 81 q pound uf mrtailic vanadlum
In ferroyanadium To- $3.50 cor less. The
most seriously competing deposits are
those OF vanadium sulphlde az Mlnas-
ragra, Peru.
The Utah deposits described hy Mr.
Hess are ON the east side of the san
Rafael swell. at a locality marked on
some maps M Tidwoll. about fifteen
miles south and west of Green River
These deposits. which we've visited by
Mr. Hess In July 1911. are now being
actively worked. The mineral mined
IN carnotlte a vanadlum ana uranium
hearing mineral which lmpregnates a
confs frlnble sandstone.
The Sierra de los Caballos lies along