The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-24
OUR ENORMOUS JUNK HEAP.
Secondary Metals--Production in 1917
Valued at More than S75,ooo, 900.

cAciuslNe OF Polu, sFlNcr, platinum, IRON
and aluminium, recovered in 19l.
reached the enormous total OF S77,395,
s43, compared with $52,5s5, 800 in 1911
according to j. =. Dunlop, of the Unit
ed States Geological Survey, an increase
of nearly $25,Oo0,0Oo.
Secondary metals" are those recover
ed from scrap metal, sweepings, skim
mngs, dresses, etc, and are so called
to distinguish them from the metals de-
rived from ore, which are termed "pri'
mary metals" The United States Geo.
logical Surveys figures showing the re-
covery Of secondary copper, lead, zinc
tin, and anthony are summarized in
the table below. The reports to the
Survey do not include the very large
quantity of old iron and steel remelted,
neither do they include the precious
metals. The quantity OF aluminium
scrap returned to secondary smelters is
increasing rapidly, owing largely to the
rise of the automobile, and the Survey
reports next year will probably include
secondary aluminium"
The value given for the secondary
metals are arbitrary and are based on
the Approximate average value OF the
primary metals for the year. While
junk dealers and collectors frequently
pay low prices for small quantities Of
scrap metals, competition results in
good prices being obtained for careful
~ sorted scrap and other waste metal
products sold in large quantities. After
remelting or refining, the metals are sold
at only slightly lower prices than new
metal. These secondary metals displace
an equivalent quantity of primary met
ais and must be considered in any es-
innate OF stocks available for consump-
ton in any year. For a few special pur-
poses requiring especially purity of mat
erial, it is necessary to employ primary
or virgin pig metal, but as a general
rule secondary metals can be used in
whole or in part. In fact most foun-
dries, in order TO compete for business
successfully, must use secondary mat
erial at least in part, and hence scrap
metal is used by them and re-
melted with primary pig metal or with
composition ingot. The secondary smell
tiers, by handling large quantities of all
kinds of scrap, are able to classify their
materials so as to produce continuously
alloy metals of uniform composition
for use in work of different
classes. Such composition ingots are
being purchased and used in increasing
quantities by many foundries and 9th
er manufacturers in place of primary
metals or mixtures OF new and scrap
metals. The higher prices prevailing
in 1912 for all metals other than lead
had the effect of causing more than a
normally increased demand for and re-
covery of metals from scraps, Dresses,
etc.
1t has so far proved impossible to
the statistics for secondary |
metal recovered from clean scrap made /
IN the ordinary course of manufacture /
rom the statistics of metal recovered |
rom Dresses and ashes and from scrap
,r old metal that had entered the trade
Us manufactured articles and been dis
'arded. An estimate has been made of
he clean copper and brass scrap, but
10 distinction is made by many OF the
lealers or smelters.
Conservation That Pays.
There was notable increase in the
Ise OF magnetic separators to obtain
crap free from iron filings, and at
ONE plants concentrating tables were
introduced by means of which cinders
nd moldng sand from brass foun-
ries containing as little as 2 per cent.
4 metal were treated successfully.
he general tendency is to save all
taste metal of every kind and obtain
nore for it by better grading and
Justification. Copper wire and heavy
opper and brass scrap are kept sepa-
ate from light copper and brass, and
mall scrap is briquetted to reduce the {
ISIS in remelting. Few metallic ar
Giles are wasted; old clocks, bases OF
ectric lamps, light wire, and springs .
re all gathered and sold though such !
rticles are not desirable scrap and
ave a limited market compared to
eavy copper, brass, babbit, etc. 1t is u
npracticable to segregate the refining, !
and refuse of secondary met
Is according to states, but over 90 y
ar cent, of the refining and smelling
Dresses and scrap metals in the .
nited States is confined to the terri
ry east of st. Louis and north Of the 7
bio river. Reports were made by
,proxmately 500 users of secondary y
aterial. of which about 100 were in II
and West Virginia. 100 Z
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, q
aryland and Massachusetts, and about NJ
o in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Mich .
an. Some of the largest plants that
melt or refine secondary metals are
Philadelphia, Chicago, New York r
ty, Pttsburg. Detroit and St. Louis, !
d at Tottenville, \. V, and Rome,
Y.