Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-09-03

called rafaelite. At Talcuna, in the province
of Coquimbo in Chilli vanadum is found as q
yellow earth in connection with copper ore.
The principal and almost the only commercial
source of supply of vanadium at present is from
Peru.
There are numbers of asphaltite deposits in
Peru. among the best known of which are those
OF Yauli When burned. the ash from these de-
posits yields "a to 40 per cent vanadium oxide.
Other mines are located at Matucan and Casapal-
ca. on the Central railroad of Peru near Callao.
at Huari and at Huancayo. but the greatest of
all deposits, as now known and worked are at
Minas Ragra.
The Ragra mines are about fifty miles from
the celebrated Cerro de Pasco copper mines and
are in the same mining district. Minas Ragra
had been frequently denounced and again aban-
doned as coal mines The fuel was of 90 poor
quality as to be hardly worth the mining.
Some years ago on the abandonment by c. Weiss
& Co. of Lima, Senior Eulogio E. Fernandini who
was engaged in mining at Cerro de Pasco and
who owned the Quisque hacienda about six
miles from Minas Ragra. denounced the mines
anew Senor Fernandini had q new process for
making coke in which he proposed to use the
output Of Minas Ragra Senior Antenor Rizo
Patron was the technical director Of the Fernan-
DIM works. and on his attention being directed
to a mass of black mineral which accompanied
the coal he became interested and made q chem
contained vanadium in a greater proportion than
any Of the heretofore known ores Of this metal.
The material looks like slaty coal, Is very hard.
with 30 per cent or more free sulphur. II per
cent silica, per cent iron sulphide. and about
~ per cent each nickel and molybdenum sui
phides. and about 40 per cent vanadium sulphide.
After burning out the free sulphur the ore con-
tains about So per cent vanadum oxide.
The distinguished Peruvian scientist Senior
Jose ]. Bravo made very thorough examination
Of the locality and published the results in q
bulletin Of the Society OF Engineers. The sui.
phfde Of vanadum. not having been heretofore
known as a natural product was named rizo-
patronte by Senor Bravo in honor Of the original
discoverer of the mineral. This name Il still
bears although ordinarily shortened to patronite.
Rizo-patronite. according to Senior Bravo. appears
in the form Of a compact mass. dark in color
and some two meters thick (about feet
inches). and in his opinion is disseminated over
a large extent Of country around Minas Ragra
The earth surrounding the rizopatronite veins
Is highly impregnated with vanadium solutions.
and in small catch basins this impregnated earth
is being extensively worked.
Until the recent development Of vanadium in
the steel industry its commercial use was more
or less confined to ink making and coloring
fabrics and leather. The ink Is made of a mix
ture OF neutral solution of ammonium vanadate,
gum water and a solution of gallic acid This
ink is not destroyed by acids or alkalines nor
can 1t be bleached out with chloride. The ink.
however. Is not very permanent It dyeing fab
RIGS vanadium chlorides combined with analine
hydrochloride form a brilliant and permanent
black In coloring leather a / per cent solution
Of neutral ammonium vanadate is used With
leather which has been tanned with nutgall
The first recorded use of vanadium in steel
was in 1896. in France. in the production of ar.
NOR plates. Tests Of theses showed that they
were much tougher and more hiKhly resistant