Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-03-01
pararus that, can be recommended for
public use in laboratories and hospitals.

The bureau investigated the proper
ties and possibilities of molybGenum,
Of which the United States possesses
the largest known deposits, although
the country is relatively poor in high
grade deposits of some other important
alloying elements used in alloy struc-
tural steels, such as automobile steels.
The bureau conducted studies directed
toward. devising means for utilizing ex-
tensive deposits of low-grade iron ores
that cannot be smelted profitably By
present methods. Thesr studies in
Guided investigations of ,ne low-grade
iron ores of the Birmingham (Ala.)
district, the manganiferous iron ores
of the Lake Superior district, and the
iron and steel situation in the Pacific
Coast states.
The cost of production of zinc, with
the standard retort process, is now so
high that it %endangers the position Of
zinc as a cheap metal. Plans have been
formulated for On investigation of pro-
posed methods for the electrothermic
metallurgy of zinc, with a view to in
creasing the recovery of metal and low
ering production costs. The results Of
an investigation regarding the losses
Of mines in tic tailings of zinc metals,
In the Wisconsin district indicate that
the use Of concentrating tables of q
certain type will greatly increase re-
covery.> 1t is estimated that this prac-
tice would have added about 100000
annually to the value of zinc output in
this district, had it been in operation
in 1917. Important results in the utili-
cation of the lcw-grade and complex
ores of copper, lead, silver and zinc,
which constitute q great problem in the
mineral development of Utah, Colorado
and other Rocky mountain states, are
promised by the utilization of the
chloride volatilization process. The sui
phur dioxide teaching of porphyry cop
per ores Of Arizona holds the promise
of important developments for the.
mineral industry Of the Southwest.
Recovery of Coal From Refuse.
AS about o%ne-quarter of the blum
nous coal produced in the United
States is used in industrial power
plants, the waste of unburned coal
and coke in the ashes from boiler
plants has been investigated by the
bureau. 1t has been possible to re-
cover the greater part Of the unburned
fuel by washing the ashes on a con-
centrating table. AS the result. of a
study Of coal washing problems in the
state of Washington, N mine has
built a table washing plant to treat
a pile of refuse amounting to more
than one million tons, estimated to
contain 100000 tons Of recoverable
coal of coking quality.
The bureau conducted studies re-
garding the use of liquid oxygen as
an explosive. In cooperation with
the Department of Agriculture an in
vestigation was made of the use of
cellulose from corn cobs in the manu-
facture Of dynamite. Investigations
were conducted to determine the best
and safest conditions for the industri-
al use of 100000 pounds OF picric
acid, held IS a surplus by the Wal
department. During the year the bu-
reau called attention to the danger
in using certain low-grade foreign det-
onators, which had been coming into
the country in large numbers.
A universal gas mask has been de-
veloped by the bureau for protecting
the wearer against all poisonous gas
not exceeding 2 or 8 per cent con-
centratlon in air where q safety lamp
will burn. A fireman's gas mask for
the use of train crews in railroad tun-
nels was devised. Investigations made
in connection with the problem of
ventilation of vehicular tunnels showed
that from 20 to 80 per cent of The heat
of the gasoline used as q fuel for au-
tomobile engines Is lost in the form
of unburned gases in the exhaust, due
to improper carburetor setting.
Investigations at the ceramic ex-
pertinent station at Columbus, Ohio,
indicate that some American clays
will yield products closely approach
ing the English china clay. AT the
same station it has been demonstrate
ed that better graphite crucibles can
be made with the use of domestic
bonding clay than have hitherto been
made with imported clays.
Classifying Export Goals.
During the year the bureau, in Co
operation with three Of the largest
seaboard coal exchanges, developed
scientific systems of classifying ex-
port Goals into pools by systematic
/, sampling and analysis to supersede
the arbitrary classiications used in
war time. Further progress was made
in the investigation for preparing and
utilizing Ignite, which constitutes the
greater part Of the nations fuel re-
sources.
The bureau completed work on prep