El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-05-04
MAKING POTASH
FOR FERTILIZER
New Industry in United
States Started by Port
land Cement Factories.

! Washington, j. C., May Potash
salts were produced i'm the United
! States in 1915 to the value Of $Sl2.OOe,
according to the United states geo
! logical survey. Though this figure is
Of interest as showing a small begin
! ming I'm the domestic potash industry.
/ il becomes Of little importance if the
total needs Of the country are consid-
cred, for it represents a quantity con-
summed I'm less than Il week under nor
NAL conditions.
Reduced Imports.
The imports OF refined potash salts in
1915 were 76.141 long tons or slightly
more than 25 percent Of those in 1918,
the latest normal year Of impOrta ton
Imports Of the potash fertilizers kahn
lite, manure salts and double manure
salts. amounted to 2O,f27 long tons. or
about three percent of those in 1913.
Taking all the potash salts together,
inc imports I'm 1915 were about one
tenth or those under normal conditions.
Progress in the Domestic Industry.
I'm the survey report on the subject,
w. c. Phalen states that potash was
recovered from the United States as a
by-product from the manufacture Of
Portland cement at Riverside. Cal. BY
product potash from this source has
yielded a considerable revenue. owing
to the abnormaliy high price for these
salts, and in obtaining il two other
purposes have been subserved-first
the saving Of additional material to be
converted into cement, and second, the
elimination Of the dust nuisance. At
Riverside a discharge Of 100 tons OF
dust day over the surrounding orange
groves has been prevented.
Future Source of Production.
Experimental work on the production
nj al IL
was active during the year. and in
places this activity has been succeeded
by the construction of plants. Opera
tons are in progress at Searles Lake
and a kecler. on the shores OF owens
Lake. Cal 1t is reported that one COM
pany is erecting a plant near Great Salt
Lake and that another viii soon be
started at the south end of the lake.
The by-product bittern at solar evapOr-
alton plants on San Francisco bay has
also received some attention
Another plant has been planned for
the extraction of potash salts and
alumina from alunite at Marysvale,
Utah
Great activity has been manifested
i'm experiments for the recovery Of
potash from the silicate rocks. such as
feldspar and leucite, from the mica
sericite. and from greensand. The ex-
pense involved in obtaining potash
salts from these sources, together with
the uncertainties with which manufac-
turers will be confronted and the keen
German competition likely to be met
at the close of the war i'm Europe, have |
tended to discourage chemical enEi-
neers and capitalists. However, I'm
many laboratories researches have been
in progress, some of which, according /
TO reports. offer prospects Of profitable |
commercial development if feldspars !
and other potash-rich rocks in suffi-
cieWf OngufffV and uurffn- ran % found
and made available.
A small quantity of potash salts was !
probably produced from these siIicate /
rocks and minerals during 1915 and |
found IT'S way into mixed fertilizers 1
without intermediate refinement.