Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-04-12

is a hlgh-grade ore known as ii'
is one of the principal producers
However. the principal demand
for manganese ore. one OF the chleI
strategic minerals, comes from the
steel industry. and for the steel
industry it is not necessary to nave
such pure form of manganese ore
as is used for batteries and Tor
other chemical purposes.
Imports Cut
The steel industry of the United
States this year will probably con-
sumo about 100000 long tons OF
high-grade manganese ore and con-
centrates while the chemical in
dustry will use only about $4,000
tons In normal times most OF the
manganese ore used in the United
states was imported. About SO
of these imports came from Brazil
1870 from Cuba. $50 from the
Gold Coast Of Africa, 10 from
British India. $3.50 from Russia
and the remainder from other
countries. Due to the shortage OF
ship bottoms and blOckades, these
figures have been radically changed
since the beginning of World War
No and imports have been dras-
tically reduced. Taking cOgnizance
of the unayailability of imports OF
manganese, the government of the
United States, through its various
departments, is taking active steps
to establish an industry leading to-
the production of a greater tonnage
of domestic manganese ore.
Previous to World War No. l, /
Montana had produced only 1877
tons of high-grade manganese ore
which was shipped as a test lot
in 1900 to a steel mill in Chicago. 1
In 1916, Philipsburg produced
only a little over 5000 tons of
chemical and metallurgical man
ganese ore. In 1918, Philipsburg
shipped 127415 tons of high-grade
manganese ore.
Large Deposit At Butte
In Butte there is a large deposit
OF rhodochrosite which is a car
Donate of manganese and has (
translucent pastel pink color. This I
is the only large deposit of pink
manganese discovered in the entire
world. A large tonnage of high
grade pink manganese was shipped
from Butte in 1918. Several adj
ditional deposits of manganese were
found at different points in Mon
tana. From beginning OF only
1900 tons in 1916 Montana, in !
September 1918, was shipping at
the rate OF over 10000 tons of /
high-grade manganese ore per
month or better than half OF what
the United States consumed in that
year.
Spending S1,5OO,OOO
Naturally, in attempting to sti-
mulate domestic manganese ore
production. Montana would be ex-
pected to furnish a large tonnage,
due to its 1918 record. Already
the Anaconda Copper Mining co.
has been given a large contract to
furnish roasted and nodulized high
grade manganese concentrates. The
Anaconda Copper Mining Co is
spending over SI.5OO,OO0 at the
Washoe reduction plant in Ana
conda to concentrate second-class
pink manganese ores from the
Butte mines. After the ores are
concentrated, most of the impuri-
tles such as zinc, lead, copper, sui
phur, phosphorus iron and silica
AANe'S bGNu eliminated. Inc
concentrates will then be roasted
ana nodulized eliminating the car
pom dloxide content and putting
me concentrates in rather coarse
shape after having been put
through the mill finer than 500
mesh. Inc concentrates will be
STOCK pied and used by the steel
INDUSTRY as required. These con
cemtrates viii assay higher in me-
tame manganese and lower in i'm
PuIllles than any other large
quantity OF manganese in the world
INK manganese was first success
luly concentrated by an indepen-
1eht engineer during World War
NO 1 out the present process of
concentrating was developed by the
S Ms ineers OF the Anaconda Conner
.illilns Co The roasting and
louuil%lAg process was developed
Oy anaconda and the Domestic
manganese and Development Com
pauy' Inc latter company has
roasting plant in Butte and NAV
Ioast some OF the concentrates pro-
uuced at the Washoe reduction
Specifications High
tel. - NoenI the government spe
c ord for furnace manganese
ore are very high, much higher
.Iidh they were during World Wa
NO. l. If these specifictions W." var
lowered or if the price Of mapo are
csc should, advance to World Z w. Sn
NO. figures, Philipsburg should
again become large producer NJ
manganese ores for the steel ~
dustry. Meanwhile, PhiIipsbnrg 10 a.
increasing its production of baffery /
ana chemical ore by concentrating
concentrators. o e'io
Through the efforts of tho 1r-,
States Bureau Of Mines. tbe I1 riteg
states Geological Survey: the NJ NJ
lana Bureau of Mines and GeoIoS-,.
and the WPA Montana Mineral 81 !
sources Survey quite a number os
lew low7grade manganese denosits