The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-04-13
OIL SHORT
SEEKING SUBSTITUTE
IDAHO CEDAR MAY TAKE PLACE
OF PINE AND is coNsID-
Erred BETTER.

Substitutes for pine oil for flotation
purposes are receiving serious consid-
GRAFTON from the bureau of mines and
from flotation experts. 1t is we'll known
that the pine oil supply is limited.
Pine forests can not be reproduced to
keep up the supply of oil which is be-
ing drawn from the pine wood. Old
stumps have been supplying one of the
chief sources, but this source is limit
ed when the rapid increase in con-
sumption is taken into consideration
The shortage is fully realized and the
price has more than doubled since flo
| tation in the treatment OF ores has be-
come a practical science Pine o,. ror-
merly sold for approximately 3Oc
gallon, but the price in the south, the
principal source of supply, is now
from SO to so cents the gallon.
oliver G. Ralston of the Salt Lake
station of the bureau of mines has
compiled some interesting statistics re-
garding the consumption of pine oil
and all other substitutes that have
proved successful in flotation work.
He predicts that pine oil will soon be
too valuable as an antiseptic to be
used in saving mineral values. Gov
eminent experts have long been at
work to discover substitutes for pine
oil and also to devise simple tests for
determining the percentage of adulter-
alton in pine oils that are sold for flo
tation purposes.
Growing Demand for Pine Oil.
An idea of the growing demand for
pine oil is seen in the increase in the
tonnage of ore being treated by flota-
ton. Up to January 1, 1916, the
tons. The proposed increases are
such that by the close of 1916 the
monthly tonnage will be 1851 900 tons
1t requires from one-fourth of a pound
to one pound of pine oil per ton.
Following is the monthly consump-
tion of the oils and substitutes used
for the flotation purposes and the ap-
proXimate value thereof:
Pine oil, $4,000 pounds, price from
so to go cents gallon.
Eucalyptus oil, 200 pounds, price
$3.50 to 81 per gallon.
Pine tar oil, 1000 pounds, price 20 to
80 cents per gallon.
Wood creosote, $4,000 pounds, price
from II to 81 cents a gallon.
Turpentine, 1890 pounds, price SIS
cents per gallon.
All of the foregoing are wood pro-
ducts. Turpentine plants in the south,
which were shut down for years, are
now all running full blast because of
the war prices for the product.
Oleic acid is the only animal product
used in flotation. The monthly con-
sumption of oleic acid is 5000 pounds.
Coal Products and FIotation.
Coal products supply a large amount
of the material used in flotation. The |
monthly consumption follows:
Coal tar, 715,OOO pounds, price 2 to 8
cents a gallon.
Coal creosote, $4,000 pounds price
10 to 30 cents a gallon.
Coal cresol, 5000 pounds, price rs to
$3.50 gallon.
Petroleum products are used ex-
tensively. Statistics show that 243, 900
pounds of crude petroleum are used L
and that 1,743,000 pounds of
he various fractions of crude petrol
cum are now consumed each month by
'lotation. The price of this is lower 4
han any other product used.
Coal products are used largely in
he treatment of copper ores and have
proven the most successful. Pine oil 7
$ the best for lead. zinc, silver and
,old, and wood creosote has proved the
'est substitute. !.
Oil From Idaho Cedar. t
Another oil source that is available, a
in the west, is cedar. Ex- I
eriments have been made with cedar =
III and have proved most successful. | t
daho has extensive cedar swamps o
overing large areas of fertile lands J,
nd enough oil could be derived from \
he trees to pay for clearing the I
round and getting it in shape for Gull o
Walton Cedar oil would have even a g
reater commercial value than pine 9
IL, as experiments already made show d
hat it is more efficient in the treat Il
lent of valuable ores.
With limited supply of pine oil, 7,
'hich is taken from dead pine timber Il
My experts have been experimenting s
Extensively to provide a substitute :.
he demand is increasing by leaps fl
nd bounds. and there has been a cor al
spending increase in price Substi- q
ties so far provided do not make the 3
Ugh percentage of savings, but they W
ave been instrumental in keeping the dl
rice of pine oil within reach of the 0!
perators. N