Montana oil and mining journal., 1941-10-25

/ About 1869 the Chrome Steel CO.
of Brooklyn was organized to produce
chromium steels in accordance with
the Baur method, and the low-chrom-
! iurn steels made by this process found
their early application IN the mining
/ industry
France in 1877 employed chromium
steels In the making OF proJectiles and
other ordnance. In 1889 nickle-steel
ar1nor was developed and short time
later came the production of nickel
chromium steels.
Long before chromium entered the
field as steel alloy, the United States
faded from the picture as a source OF
supply. Since early domination by this
country, the production lead has shift
ed among the several leading foreign
producers
New Caledonia took the lead In 1875
and with Turkey and Russia furnished
the greater part of the world supply
until development was started in Rho
desia. New Caledonia supplied Is per-
cent Of the world output recorded up
to 1921 and IL percent during 1913
1887.
During the World war because of
the remoteness to the source and the
resulting transportation difficulties,
New Caledonia production declined,
and Rhodesia took the lead
Since 1913 Rhodesia moved out in
front. However, it was not until the
recovery following the postwar de-
preston that the gap between the two
became so large. While these two
countries continued to lead the field,
small supplies were scattered through
out the world.
Small deposits were found in Can
ada, but they were valuable only in
times of great need Cuba developed
scattered mines reaching a peak be-
tween 1928 and the depression Of 1929.
Although one of the Oldest produc-
ers, Greece has never had a large
output India has fared better and
in 1917-1918 produced 13 percent of
the worlds supply.
Japan has never produced enough |
to be of great Importance. The supply |
is of interest chiefly because it is !
sufficient to make local consumption /
practically independent Of foreign sup
plies.
South Africa, Yugoslavia and nu-
merous other widely scattered coun- /
tries have entered the field from time /
to time as price rises made produc- |
ton worthwhile.
Once again rising prices have made /
the mining of low-grade ores worth
while. But more than price alone, the |
demand by defense agencies has made
a local source of immediate necessity /
Uses of chrome ores are divided into |
three fields: metallurgical industries,
As percent; refractory (for furnace
construction in its crude form), 40 /
percent; Chemical dying, tanning,
bleaching, paint pigments), is percent.
During the past 20 years the United
States has used between One-third and
two-thirds of the world output For
the period of fe13-1937 the figure
reached As percent.
It is this demand that makes a
local source of utmost Importance.
Price has been mentioned because
when the prices rise in time of war,
the lower grade mines come into op-
Grafton. Frow a low of $11.19 ton
in 1913 the ore price rose to an all
time high average of $4499 in 1918
the final year Of the war.
Because of its resistance to abrasion |
and wear, its strength, hardness and
all round toughness, chrome is vital |
in defense production.
Stainless steel has come to the fore
ground for it's use in hospitals as well |
as architectural design In airplane |
production the use of 1913" is be-
coming more important each day be-
cause Of its tensile strength which is
three times that of plain carbon steel. |
This means that a structure of a |
given strength may be built of "l8-so