The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-26
DISCUSS USES
OF VA|VAD|UM
Utility, When Added to Steel,
Is Great; Gives Great
Resistance.
SOME FOUND IN UTAH
Scarcity of Sources Where
1t Can Be Obtained
Profitably.

Vsnadiun added to steel impurts great
resistance TO shock and to the fatigue
caused through constant bending. and
the high. carbon vanadiun steels mako
much better tools, such as SAWS. cut
ters. and rivcting dies. The use Of va
nsdium in cast iron is also said to be
beneficial MetaYanadic acid has been
used To some extent as substitute Tor
gold bronze in paint. vanadium chloride
Is used In fabric printing, and vanadium
trloXide Ia dyeng.
The United States geological survey has
Just published report (Bulletin $50 k)
entitled: "Notes on vana olurn deposits In
Colorado, Utah and New Meyico." by
Frank L. Hess. This bulletin is of in
terest because of the scarcity Of Sources
from which vanadium can be obtained. ut
q cost which will allow its profitable use
IN the arts and because OF the greatly
increased demand caused by the use of
Nanadiun in steel manIuacture. The re-
deposits near Placerville, Colo. near
Green River. Utah, aud in the Sierra de
Jos Cabsllos, New Mexico.
Low Grade Pays.
Late in the 9os a dull green sandstone
In the steep valley walls near Placer
Vile, Colo, was found 20 DC yana diterous,
and although Its percentage OF vanadium
ss low. the deposits have become OF com
raercial value owing TO the increasing
titles of vanadifsrous sandstone avail
able The known vanadium deposits of
the Pfaceryile region extend through 4
distance OF q little more than nine miles
south and east from Brown. Il Rio Grande
southern railroad station ON Leopard
creek. four miles above Placervllc, 10 a
point on Bear creek, three miles south of
Newmre. The deposits occur on both
short interruptions to the valley OF the
river; thence they follow the river iIregu
larly TO point north OF Sawplt some
deposits occur on tile essi side OF Fall |
creek, extending for distance Of about a !
mile above tho mouth. and others are
found on the south side OF the San Mi |
guel, river Tor a mile or more above falI
creek In thickness the deposits range |
from one or two inches 10 over thirty feet |
From present developments probably only |
a few thousand tons of ore carving over
= per cent OF ranadium can be mined |
projitably. but there are many thousands
of tons of Nanadium-be bearing sandstone
which will show between 1 and per
cent OF metallic vsnadium and much more
running between 0.5 and ] per cent. Suf-
nCient ore has been mined in this area
and to q less extent i'll the Carnotite fields
forty or fifty miles to the west 10 ceuse
the price to be reduced in the last three
or four years from 81 a pound of metallic
in ferrovanadium TO $50 OF
less. The most seriously competing de-
pusits are those OF Ndnadium Sulphidc at
Nina sra sra, Peru.
Working Utah Deposits.
Tne Utah deposits described by MIR.
Hess arc on the east side of the San Ra-
fael swell. at q locality marked OH some
maps as Tidwell. about fifteen miles south
and west OF Green River. These depos~
It's. which were visited by Mr.. Hess in
July, 1911, are now being actively worked
The mineral mined is caIlotite, a Yanadi-
IIm and uranium bearing mineral which
lmpregnate coarse friable sandstone.
The Sierra de los Caballos lies along !,
the cast aide Of the Rio Grapde In New
Mexico and reaches maximum height
Of 10000 feet at Timber hill, south Of
,he vanadium deposits. The vanadium
bearing mineral at this place Is vanadi-
mite, a lead Yanadate. The vanadlum
content nf this ore has been estimated
20 be from fraction of ] per cent to 3
per cent. hut the latter figure is prob
ably much too high.
A copy Of the report may be obtained
free on application to the director of the
!, Geological survey. Washington. D. G.