The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-23
BIG INCREASE IN ALUMINIUM.
Many New Uses for the Metal Shown
By Report Of United States Geological
Survey for 1912

in the use of that metal, more than 90,
100000 pounds being consumed, compares
with 40,l25,000 pounds in the preceding
year. Not only was there an increas
in the domestic production but Their
was a decided growth in the imports o
the metal, according to w. c. Phalen
Of the United States geological survey
in an advance chapter from Mineral Re
sources for 1912.
To meet in part the growing demand
for aluminium, the South Aluminium Co.
with large capital, has acquired wa
terpower site on Yadkin river, Nortl
Carolina, and is now engaged in thu
development of the property, The pro
,, jeeted operations of the company and
the additional fact that the importation
: OF foreign aluminium is being stimulat
/ ed by a keen demand promise a sutli
eient supply of the metal in the IN
ture for consumers in the United States
The Aluminium Co. Of America has Sc
cured certain riparian rights in North
Carolina and Tennessee and is planning
development of a water power for Use
in an aluminium plant to be constructed
at such points as will insure good freight
rates and an adequate labor supply. In
addition to this expansion in the South,
the company is reported to be work.
ing on additions to its New York, Penn
lsvlvania, and Illinois plants.
Recent Applications of Metallic Alumni
mum.
A recently developed branch of the
aluminium industry is the manufacture
Of the powdered metal which is used
extensively as paint pigment, in ex-
plosives, in lithographing, and in print
| ing. The material feels very much like
powdered graphite. Aluminium foil
though not exactly a new product, is
now being used on a larger scale than
ever before, owing to improved methods
which have lowered the cost of making
it appreciably. 1t is now reported to be
displaeing tin foil for wrapping such
articles as tobacco and candy.
The employment OF metallic aluminium
| in the manufacture of cooking utensils
is now being extended to the construe-
ton of tanks, cooking watts, and vessels
employed by breweres, preserve manu-
factories. and similar industries where
heat eonduction, noncorrosion, and non
poisonous nature are essential.
The expansion in the use of extruded
forms and tubing made OF aluminium
has been great during the last few years.
The difficulties encountered in such use
have been largely surmounted and these
articles are now being turned out with
high tensile strength and with very com
aaf Oh in luanat N form 0plIg1
for.
Wire for Long Distance Transmission.
The use of aluminium wire as CON
ductor in long distance power-transmds
sion schemes IL not new, but recent de-
partures from the ordinary practice bid
fair to enlarge this application of the
metal 1t is reported that a steel re
enforced aluminium cable, consisting in
all of seven strands. has been placed |
upon the market. The six outer strands |
are made of aluminium and the inner |
strand is made of steel OF very high |
tensile strength. II is asserted that |
this conductor both transmits the cleo
trical current and has the requisite /
strength for use on the towers which |
are rapidly displacing poles in trans
mission lines. The Pacific Light & Pow
er Co. of Los Angeles, Cal, has adopted
this product for its new transmission
line.
The employment of metallic aluminium
in the manufacture of articles of every
day use has become so common that
such articles fail to attract attention
as novelties. The present demand in
this direction seems TO be for skillful
in designing new forms and
applications.
Production of Bauxite Holds Steady.
The domestic production of bauxite,
The ore from which aluminium is derived,
Turing 1912 was 1885 long tons, val
Jed at S76S932. Compared with the out
put in the preceding year, these figures
an increase in quantity of 4,24T
ong tons. and in value of SlS.2s3. It
5 significant, however, that the importa
lion of metallic aluminium of different
yrades increased enormously in 1912. a
aet which may probably account for
he small increase in the production and
he decrease in the imports of bauxite. I
Sources of Aluminium are Many.
Though bauxite deposits are being
ound from time to time and though the
resent demand does not appear to tax
lnduly the known supply of the lower /,
!rade of material. the interest now being :
AIKEN in the preparation of pure aln-
nina from clay or other silicate min $
rails is worthy of note. As soon as =
recess for the extraction of alumina
rom clay is put on a commercial basis, ,
he large quantities Of low grade bauxite J,
considerable admixtures Of
lay will become available. There is a
arge tonnage of such material assocat- :,
d with most Of the southern Appa- :
ichian bauxite deposits This material !,
hould first be tested before the non
auxite clsys containing the smallest
mount of alumina are utilized. Two !
rocesses have recently been patented !,
Or the extraction of alumina from clay, 3
nd other patents, having for their OBJ :
,ct the extraction of potash salts and
lumina from slicate like the feldspars, :,
ere taken out in 1912. These processes =
re described in the geological surveys !,
aport on bauxite and aluminium for :
DID.
The report. "The Production of Baux- =
e and Aluminium in 1922 may be OBJ :
lined free Of charge BY addressing the q =
irector. U. s. geological survey, Wash r.
lgton, ID. c. h
- OF