The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-04-10
ANT|M0NY IN IDAHO
PINE CREEK PRODUCERS
IRREGULARITIES OF THE METAL,
ITS USES AND PRODUCTION
IN UNITED STATES.


brittle metal 1t has a specific grav-
ity Of 6.S and Its atomic weight Is l20.
Its most notable characteristics are Its
feasibility, (melting point $50 degrees
c. and the volatility Of its oxide and
sulphide.
Anthony is occasionally found ma
tive Various oxides and oxysulphides
of yellow to reddish color are fire.
quently found in the outcrops of an
timony deposits
Stibnite the sulphide (antimony II
per cent, sulphur, 20 per cent? Is prac-
tically the only mineral which is min
ed for it's antimony. 1t is a soft, brit
tie, shining, lead-gray mineral which
readily furnishes to a blush black, 1t
occurs frequently in long -bladed crys-
tails or aggregates which are usually
deeply grooved or striated lengthwise'
Stibnite Is easily fusible, thin splin-
tiers melting In an ordinary candle
flame. Heated on charcoal with the
blowpipe, stibnite gives dense white
OF sulphur dioxide.
There are many ores particularly
those Of copper, lead and silver, which
carry appreciable amounts Of anti
mony, but none Of them are regarded
as anthony ores, although small
quantities of anthony are recovered
from them as by-product of lead and
copper smelling
of nearly all the metals occur in ma
ture, none except those of copper, lead
and silver are of any economic signi-
ficance
The following statement of uses and
production of antimony is taken from
Anthony in 1916" by Edison S. Bas
ton:
Metallic antimony unalloyed has
few industrial uses. In the form Of
fine powder, known as iron black
it Is used for producing the appear
ance of polished steel on articles made
of papiermache or pottery For these
purposes it is precipitated by the &C
ton of metallic zinc on an acid solu
ton of antimony salts. Anthony al
Toys readily with most heavy metals,
the alloy being harder than the two
pure metals and also in most cases,
possessing the property of slight ex-
pansion on solidifying. Type metal is
an alloy of antimony, lead and tin;
babbitt, antifriction or bearing metal
is usually an alloy of anthony, tin
and copper. Britannia metal, also
known as white metal" Is an alloy
of anthony, tin and copper, with
some zinc and, rarely, small quantities
of other metals, 1t is used in making
cheap domestic tableware, teapots
spoons, etc. Anthony alloys find
minor utilization in battery plates
toys, cable coverings, etc. Lead-anti-
mony alloy or hard lead Is used IN
making acid resisting valves,
White anthony oxide, mainly the
tetraoxide (SB2O4) is used for making
opaque white enamel and other SAM
tary ware, In this use anthony OK
ides compete with tin oxide. Anti
mony oxide, mainly trioXide, is used as
coloring agent in manufacture of
glass, as 1t Is more readily fusibIe
than tetraoxide and does not impart
opacity to the glass Anthony oxides
are further used as paint pigments.
The red sulphides of antimony are
used in vulcanizing and coloring red
rubber, and also as paint pigments,
The natural anthony trisulphidc.
stibnite, enters into the composition
of safety matches or the compound is
put on the match box.
Antimonate of lead containing an
excess of lead oxide known as Naples
yellow" is used in oil paints and in
the glass and ceramic industries. The
anthony salt, tartar emetic double
tartrate of antimony and potassium)
and anthony fluoride are employed
as mordants in dyeing. Tartar EN-
etic and antimony trioxide are en-
ployed incidentally
Antimonial lead carrying II to 10
per cent of antimony is employed in
the manufacture of shrapnel bullets.
Smaller quantities of liquated anti
mony sulphide are used in the primers
of shells. For this last purpose it is
claimed the material must carry less
than per cent of impurities insolu-
BILE in hydrochloric acid. Anthony
sulphide as a powder is used in the
charge of some shells to produce on
explosion a dense white smoke which
is of service in range finding.
V. S. Production.
The production of anthony ores in
the United States in 1916 according to
the best information available, was
about $500 short tons, valued at $780,
$50. The metallic anthony content
of this material was about 1870 short
tons. The average tenor Of the ore in
metallic anthony was therefore about
40 per cent
The principal producing states in
order of Importance were Nevada,
California, Alaska, washington, Ore
gon, Idaho and Arkansas. Utah and
Arizona produced insignificant guam
titles.
In Idaho the production was all