The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1921-03-26
IMPORTANCE OF ARSENIC
INDUSTRY IS INCREASING


the seasonal stacking up in demand
the price fell. During the last sew
eral months Of the year the mineral
importance of the arsenic industry
can be gained when 1t is known that
the demand for white arsenic in 1920
was even greater than In 1919, when
| 10000 tons were consumed in this
| country. Production in this coun-
try was entirely inadequate to supply
the demand and consequently prices
were high. white arsenic being quot
ed, according to A. E. Wells in the
Engineering and Mining Journal, up
| sold for IL and IL cents per pound.
One company supplied a large con-
tract over the year at less than 10
cents per pound. 1t is estimated that
the domestic production was approx
mately 5000 tons and that between
5000 and 1000 tons was imported
from Canada and Mexico.
OUTPUT GROWTH RAPID
According to the 1914 Mineral Re-
sources OF the United States. white
arsenic was not produced in the Uni
ted States until 1901, when the Puget
Sound Reduction Company at Ever
EFT, Wash, produced 500 tons, saved
as a by-product in smelling gold and
silver ores. This sold at an average
price of 8 cents per pound. With the
beginning of the war in 1914 the pro-
duction in the United States rose to a
total of 1870 short tons, which sold
at from 80 cents per pound to 3.6
cents on board the cars at the works.
He also says in his report regard
ing the total amount of arsenic which
may be recovered in the future from
smelter fumes: 1T is not possible to
estimate closely the quantity of arse
mic set free at smelters of the United
States other than those which handle
Butte Copper ores. AS practically all
ores except the lead and zinc ores of
the eastern and central States carry
some arsenic, the total, outside of
Butte ore smelters, may be 5000 or
5000 tons year, so that the total
arsenic trioxide in the smelter fumes
of the United States possibly amounts
to 10000 tons year, exclusive of
the quantities now saved. The in
stallation of Cottrell devices for set
Ting fiue dusts will probably add
very greatly to the arsenic trioxide
collected and probablyto that saved"
ARSENIC ORES COMMON
arsenic is an element which is
generally classed among the nonniet-
ais, though 1t has some of the char
acteristics of metal. Its appearance
and luster are metallic. 1t for,rs
with several metal compounds. which
though brittle, correspond to true al
Toys such as hard lead, compound of
arsenic and lead, and several vari-
eties of speculum metal. However,
the addition of arsenic to most metals
makes the alloy which Is too brittle.
Arsenic is electrically positive and
good conductor of electricity and
heat. On a freshly exposed surface
arsenic is steel gray, but 1t soon be-
comes tarnished and blackened. The
number of arsenic minerals-that is
the minerals of which arsenic forms
either a major or a minor constituent
is very large, 130 or more, the ex-
act number depending on the strict
ness on which definitive lines are
drawn.
Arsenic is occasionally found ma
tive, but in this form 1t is everywhere
too scarce to be of commercial value.
In the ores of Tintic there is some
arsenic. The deposits of the West
ern Utah Copper Company of Gold
hill in the Deep Creek district con-
tain a large amount of arsenic. Here
the arsenic is found In the form of
scorodite or hydrous arsenate OF
iron in large bodies along lime por-
phyry contact. according to the En-
cheering and Mining Journal Of Feb
ruary IL. Not only, says the article.
does this ore contain high percent
age of arsenic. but from . to per
cent Of lead and from to 8 ounces
of silver. These metals, with the ar
senic. are recovered. The Western
Utah Copper has been shipping 400
or more tons of this ore daily, often
as high as 500 tons. all Of which pro-
duction goes to one Of the valley
smelters.
The speiss dumps OF Eureka. Ne
vada. are another important source
OF arsenic to local smelters. Eureka
speiss. the settings from the Stag
v.,<a of tha old aualfara narrv it fa