Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-03
PLACES PLATINUM
IN GREAT DEMAND
Work Of Saving Valuable Metals
Thrown Away by Miners
Now in Progress.
ARE RARER THAN GOLD
Bulk of Worlds Supply Has
Heretofore Come From Ural
Mountains.
ARE RARER THAN GOLD
u. $. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

PlStinEln, cSmtuN. iridium, p.;lla-
dium. ruthenium and rhodium form Il
group of closely related metals. which
erc generally found as native metals
more or less alleged with one another.
They are rarer than gold. and so:lc of
them. especially platinum. irttiura ane
palladium. ore now more va,::nhle and
in greater demand than gold Because
Of their difficult solubiiity. tieir rusl-
biiit" only at very high temperatures
and their extreme hardness. some Of
them are especially suitable for us"
! in the chemical and electrical indus
! tries.
| One OF the least important uses for
| platinum. ard one that has taken
large part of the output. ia il making
/ icwciry. One of It's most important
present uses is in making sG.phur!r
acid. for through catalyiic action !,
brings about tho combination os ma
| terials required TO torm that ac;.i. Sui
phmrc acid - required for making
fertilizers and explosives aaI l. thus
essential to sustain Tie feeding and
I lighting powers OF our nation.
| l'ndcr normal conditions. the United
! states requires about 165.hh0 ounces, o.
The platinum metals a year. l. PRO-
,uces only few Thousand ounces and
is mr.;in., increasing d.:ir.ii;ics IN I'm
! porting sufficient quantities. There
lore. these metals should be applied
| only 10 their most essential uses.
PRODUCTION IN RUSSIA
rs DECREASING
The platinum metals arc found in
quantities Of economic value at only
4 few places. The bulk of the worlds
production has heretofore been r,r-
Z ;..1,o =
tains, in Russia, but the production
! from this source is decreasing Column
hta Is Becoming nm Increasingly large
prouuceT. in tho United States there
has been q small but steady prodac-
ION OF platinum tor many years from
Tho gold placers OF Northern California
and Southern Oregon.
. In these now emergencies We and
! that We have not utilized ali our ma
tural resources and th,t VIZ have lGc':-
ID tho imagination to foresne thu valu.
OF some OF those resources. IT, 1rv g.
! Hanks. former state minc-aio-ie; or
California. rs far back as 1854 raadc
| the following statement:
''lf the miners could be persuaded 10
collect the platinum minerals an in
dustry might be established OF con-
siderable Importance. There is no ren-
son why platinum should not be ,ran-
ufactured in San Francisco and the
American demand in part or wholly
supplied by this State"
IL is said that the platinum metals
| were thrown away by the miners In
the early days because there WAS no
demand for them. The things that are
thrown away by one generation. how
ever. are picked up and saved by the
L
valuable metals is now in progress.
In view OF the increasing difficulty
OF obtaining sufficient supplies Of these
metals comprehensive survey OF our
platinum resources was begun by the
United States Geological Survey, De-
pariment of the Interior. during the
field season OF 1917. The work in
California was done In cooperation
with the California State Mining Bu-
rcau.
MOST OF WORLDS PLATINUM
COMES FROM PLACER MINES
Nest OF the platinum that has been
produced In tho world has come fror,
placer mines. and much OF It has been
derived fror, placers that were worke ed
primarily for their content OF gold
such as those in California and Ore
son. In these places the platinum
metals are associated with the gold
| The important facts regarding their
occurrence are their widespread dis
tri5uticn and their lack OF concentra-
! lion in high value at any particular
locality. in most placers the proper
ton of the platinum metals to the gold
IS very small At one placer where
large quantities OF gravel were being
handled TIE proportion o: platinum to
N nh
by weight In a few small operations
the proportion of platinum was re-
ported to be equal TO the gold and i'm
still fewer it was reported to be more
than the gold.
The problem OF discussing the pro-
ducticn Of the platinum metals is close
~ involved with the production of
placer gold and may be resolved into
the problems o. saving larger pro-
portion Of platinum from the ground
| now mined and OF ifnding new produc-
! tive areas California has been tho
best area in tho world for develoD;nG
methods OF placer mining. The Golden
ACC OF hydraulic and drift mining.
however. has passed away. The mel Cd
now in use. which handles the greatest
quantity OF gravel and saves the most
gold. is dredging.
The platinum metals are generally
supposed to he derived from the serpen-
limo that occurs In many areas in
| Northern California and Southern
| Oregon. Wherevery platinum seems to
have been traced nearly to it's source
! the rock Is found. a roughness Of the
platinum and In somo specimens a
baoit brownish coating. which Is APP
Tarently iron oxide, indicate proximity
to its source. but has not yet been
traced directly to the serpentine. a.
| though II Ia probably derived from this
rock, The large areas o; serpentine and
related rocks In Northwestern Calf
fornia And Southwestern Oregon and
the gold and platinum found in many
OF the streams that drain them make
this country favorable for prospecting,
not only for tho platinum metals, but
for chrnn,fka -