Evening star., 1942-08-15
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Laboratory, Field
And Study
BIZ Thomas K. Henry.

BIZ Thomas r. Henry.
New methods OF treating low grade ors
now being developed by the United States
Bureau OF Mines promise to give the
country plentiful supplies OF one Of the
most essential OF ali war minerals
chromium
The Importance OF this metal-chiefly
as a constituent OF stainless steel-is be
coming greater every day with increasing
ship production.
Previously, almost the entire American
supply, about 500 900 tons OF chromium
ore A year, was imported from the Philip
pines, Greece, Turkey, New Caledonia
and India. Virtually all these imports
have been cut off since December 7. l94l.
One OF Germanys chief obiectives in
Southeastern Europe according to some
experts, it TO get control OF the chromium
supply which Is essential for carrying on
the war.
The United States itself has enormous
deposits, but they are OF such low grade
that it has not been profitable to work
them, and they have remained unde-
veloped One county in Montana alone
has At least $500 900 tons of chrome ore
possibly twice that much. Bureau Of
Mines engineers are seeking other de-
posits in California, Oregon, Washington
and Alaska
When allowed with steel, chromium
gives a toughness ideal for armor plate
and projectiles. The stainless steel used
in naval construction contains from IL
TO 80 per cent of the metal
One great difficulty in dealing with the
American deposits in the past has been
the high ratio OF iron to chromium re-
covered from most ores The two ele-
ments are mixed together everywhere,
and it is diffcult to get the iron out
In order to be of any value for alloys
the ratio OF chromium to iron must be at
least three to one. BY the processes now
being tested by the Bureau OF Mines the
ratio in the recovered metal has been
raised from less than to to as much
rs 80 or 40 to l.
Separation is largely an electrical proc
ess. BY the new methods it has been
possible to cut in half the amount OF
electricity required.
The new methods already have been
perfected to the point where several pilot
plants are in opera ton in Montana. This
is the last step before regular commercial
production.
War has forced on the United States =
new 400 0OO-scre crop and a new indus
try which will require at least 100 plants
hemp and hemp processing.
Once it was stable American crop
practically the sole source OF rope and
twine. Ships could not put TO sea with
out 1t Frontier women woVe honespnr
suits from it. A few acres were re-
onired 10 make ropes for hanging horse
thieves and border bandits.
But even shortly after the civil WA
II was losing caste. 1t required gooo
land Profits were low. There wer'
better rope making materials, especially
the abacs, near relative OF the banana
from the East Indies. The crop fell into
further disrepute when 1t was revealed
~ the source OF the dangerous drug
meriluans, and hemp growers had 70
register with the Federal Government
This wear, however, under prodding'
OF the Department Of Agriculture and
guaranteed price from the Commodity
Credit Corp. more than $4,000 acres
have been planted for seed alone as 4
basis for an unparalleled hemp growing
program next year.
The seed hemp field. are distributed
through Kentucky, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Iowa and the Dakotas,
At the outbreak Of the war the tota
area planted with hemp had dropped Il
about 5000 acres. The crop had shifted
largely from Kentucky, its flrst home, tc
Wisconsin There were only two or three
small hemp processing factories in the
United States.
So when the supply OF abacs from th'
Philippines and the East Indies was GU
OF by the Japanese, the Department Of
Agriculture flber crop specialists had tc
start practically from scratch
They found tnat much land in thu
northern tier OF the States was wei
adapted to hemp raising but that the sea
sons were too short for good seed pro-
duction Kentucky, on the other hand
was we'll adapted for producing seed. anc
present plans are that most of 1t will be
raised there Seed and fiber cannot be
produced At the same time anywhere
The latter becomes loo tough for use BY
the time the seed ripens This wears
experimental fields in the Northern
States are largely planned to test crol
yields.
Hemp, IT generally Is agreed Is tn,
best substitBte--but not \ perfect sub
stitute-for sbsca. Hemp rope especially
does not have the salt water resistance
OF abaca rope but 1t approaches it quit,
closely.
About 100 new processing plants viii
be necessary TO fll the Nation rope snt
twine needs, it Is estimated
Denies That SlovaAss
Are Willing Volunteers.
To the Editor Of The Star:
In an article, published in The Stal
Aup1lSt 10 under the hea dGne "F,ro