The Washington times., 1913-12-31
PLATINUM FOUND
IN GERMAN MINES
Discovery of Nitrate Made by
Curious Chemist Who Ex-
amined Precipitate.

One of the most serious problems con-
nected with the expansion of electrical
illumination and certain branches of
technical chemistry Is based upon the
limited occurrence of the metal plati-
mum. Hitherto Russia has been prac-
tically TIE only source OF supply, says
Consul Thomas II. Norton, Chemitz.
In several localities of the Cral Noun
tains, notably in the neight orhood of
Nizhni Tagilsk in the Perm government,
ard about Mt Blgodat, the metal is
found in sufficient amount to allow OF
systematic mining operations.
Very small quantities or platinum
have been found in Borneo, Sumatra,
Brazil, Colombia, Australia, and Can,
fornia, but the contributions from all
these regions to the worlds demands
form a sIrall fraction of the Russian
supply-5 per cent or less. Inc total
production Is now about lS,20o pounus
annually.
Every effort has been made in Rus
sia to locate new deposits CT the metal,
but without success. The annual quan-
tity tends TO decrease, ana an exnaus-
tion of the deposits at no very remote
date seems almost certainty. Al the
same time. the demand for platinum
has far outstripped the supply. and has
naturally caused an enormous increase
in the price. In 1892 platinum cost t
much as gold. Four years ago the priee
had risen to fSSs per troy. pound, aao at
present October, 1879, 1t Is sass per troy
pound. .
i'm the manufacture of sulphurie acid, IL
pas been found possible to replace plau-
r.tIrn in the construction of evaporatins
,.essels For other purposes, such as
satziytic operations. 1t Ii indispensable.
and this is likewise the case in the COM
IN lanN n
descent illumination and in dentistry.
In both cases The value of platinum
depends upon the fact that the coeffi-
cient of expansion of the metal Is iden-
firal with that of glass and OF the ma
terials used by dentists for artificial
teeth. One-thiri of the worlds supply
X platinum il required in dentistry and
another third in electrotechnical work.
All platinum used for these Two pur-
poses Is practically lost to the world.
Discovery In westphalia.
Under these circumstances large
sroup Of industries will welcome the dis
covery in Germany of extensive deposits
Of platinum, susceptible of easy exploi-
tatien. The location of these deposits Is
at wenden, In Wee;phalie, in a section
where iron, lead, copper and zinc mines
are abundant. while prospecting by
drill IN the netghborhood of Wenden
metallurgical chemists unexpectedly dis
covered appreoialIle amounts of plati-
nun in the layers of rock covering the
ores of the common metals.
Over 100, analyses of different borings
we're made and sH showed the presence
of The costly metal in sufficient amount
10 guarantee profitable extraction. The
sii ount of platinum present In the rock
varies from 90 to 1.s try ounces per
ciIbic yard, which is very rich compared
with the Russian deposits. Thus far
territory Of 500 acres has been examined
and the borings from nine different drill
roles give on analysis the results cited.
This tract alone will assure profitable
extraction for many years. The depth
TO which the platiniferous rock reaches
has not been announced
Steps have already been taHen 10 be-
gin the regular metallurgical EXTRACTION
of platinum at Wenden on a large scale
II Is thought that careful prospecting
will reveal the presence of other ex-
tensive fields In the Westphalian ore
region. where geological formations
similar TO those at Wenden are wide
spread.
Explanation of Discovery.
Surprise may be expressed that In q
country where chemical investigation is
so highly developed the existence OF
easily accessible piatiniferous rock de-
posits should have remained SO long
unsupported. The reason is as follows:
and platinum, as well as most of the
rarer metals allied to platinum, are sep
arated from the ordinary metalS-iron,
coppef, silver, etc.-by treatment VITA
nitric acid, in which the latter are SOL
ubie. Metallic gold and platinum re-
main behind as an insoluble residue al
ter such treatment
They can be brought into solution by
the aid Of aqua regia, and be separated
from one snother, or the gold can be
extracted by means of mercury. 1t hap
lens, however, that platinum, when al
Joyed with silver, can be dissolved by
treatment with strong nitric acid. As
thus far platinum has been found in
nature almost exclusively in the sls-
rnentary form. no attempt has been
made in ordinary ore analyses to test
for the presence of the rare metal in
The nitric-acid solutions obtained as just
described.
II seems, however, that in the West
phajian deposits platinum Is present in
the form of an alloy, and in the Gus
loInary course of analyses entered into
solution in the form OF a nitrate. =
chemist decided to test the solution OF
nitrates obtained in the normal course
of an analysis for the possible presence
of platinum, and this led to the uneK-
pected discovery.
There is every possibility that not only
in Germany, but in all other countries.
rock analysis will promptly be slIbml.-
ted to revision, and the greatest care
he taken to ascertain whether plat;
mum liz present Deposits containing
much less platinum than occurs at Wen
den can still be worked most advan-
tageously.
Investigation Here Likely.
II would appear eminently desirable
20 carry on promptly Investigations in
the United States for possible sources
of the metal. utilizing data gained at
EVeBden. There may be large tracts OF
unsuspacted wealth capable OF detec-
ton by the revised analytical process.
Attention should he directed particu-
larly to those sections where platinum
nas already been detected to a lin
extent.
OF considerable economic interest is
the prospective influence OF this new
German source OH the platinum market
1t present the production is cont
very largely by the two great rival com
plriies the French Societe Industrielie
du Platine and the Russian DemidOff
Company. For the time being they
pear TO act in concert and have unitef
during the past two years in raising
rates to the existing high figures
Among the smaller mine owners in the
Tral region there is no attempt
unity OF action.
Not Intimately Acquainted.
At a social affair the other evening
the talk topic turned TO intimate ac-
Quaintances when CONGRESSMAN William