The following table shows imports of strontium minerals by countries of origin.

Strontium minerals1 imported for consumption in the United States, 1947–52, by

1 Strontianite or mineral strontium carbonate and celestite or mineral strontium sulfate. Source: U. S. Department of Commerce.

The Bureau of Mines has done research on a flotation process for recovering celestite from the large deposits in Texas. During World War II a domestic firm processed Texas ore, but the market was found to be too small and costs too high for economical operation, so production was discontinued. Users of celestite for chemical purposes generally specify a minimum of 92 percent SRSO maximum of 4 percent CaSO., and maximum of 4 percent BaSO4. Imported material usually is about 95-96 percent SrSO4.

The principal problem facing potential domestic producers is competition from foreign sources. With a small market and transportation and other cost disadvantages, domestic producers have found peacetime competition difficult.

If European sources were cut off in wartime, it is believed that the stockpile can satisfy United States requirements until production facilities can be built to provide adequate supplies from domestic deposits and Mexico.

INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS

Mr. JOSEPHSON. The next item is industrial diamonds. Diamond, the hardest mineral substance, has become an important strategic material because of its use as an abrasive. The demand for industrial diamonds has increased greatly in recent years with the growth in use of cemented carbide cutting tools which are so hard that diamond grinding is required in their sharpening. Diamonds are also used for core drilling, truing grinding wheels, and for wire drawing dies.

Whereas the United States is by far the largest consumer of diamonds, it produces none. In 1952 consumption in the United States totaled about 12 million carats. Our supplies are obtained principally from Africa with small quantities from South America.

Senator MALONE. In general, what is the price range per carat! Of course, there is such a wide price range on account of difference in size and quality.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. It is just under $4, but let me correct that in the record. If I remember correctly, it is $3.79.

Senator MALONE. It is in the neighborhood of $3.75 to $4.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Yes; but I will verify the figure in the record.
Senator MALONE. Go ahead.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. It is noteworthy that the Western Hemisphere accounts for only about 1 percent of the total world output.

Some 95 percent of the industrial diamond supply is marketed by the producers through an organization called Industrial Distributors,

Ltd.

Prior to the period of most rapid growth in the use of industrials, Producers and dealers had accumulated a stockpile of over 50 million

carats. However, during World War II, and since then, this stockpile is said to have been reduced to the vanishing point, and in the future the available supply will come almost entirely from current production.

Until recent years the demand has been reasonably well serviced by the producing industry. Some supplies have been channeled into the United States strategic stockpile. However, in the past few years shortages have been experienced in spite of the major production expansion programs that have been undertaken by producers.

In case of an emergency in which the United States would be cut offi from its African diamond supplies, the industries that have come to depend upon diamonds would face very serious problems. The relatively small production in South America might be increased somewhat through an aggressive exploration and development program but the potential of this area is unpredictable on the basis of the meager data at hand. Under these conditions placement of major dependence on South America is not warranted.

There is no current prospect of substantial commercial production in the United States. Fortunately, there are a number of means by which the United States can prepare for a possible wartime diamond shortage. Stockpiling is particularly advantageous, because it provides the material with which consumers are familiar. Increasing the efficiency of grinding practice and recovery of diamond-bearing grinding sludges will conserve available supplies. Research by the Bureau of Mines has shown that proper orientation of diamonds in drilling bits will extend their lives materially-as much as 300 to 400 percent in many instances. Diamond salvage from sludges is receiving greater attention and it is estimated hat almost 1 million carats will be salvaged by industry this year.

Progress is being made in the direction of self-sufficiency through the development of alternate grinding methods, including the electrodischarge processes, electrolytic processes, ultrasonic abrasive grinding, silicon carbide belt grinding and silicon carbide wheel grinding. Research is also being done on hard materials which may serve as diamond substitutes. Information accumulated in research on the crystal structure and synthesis of these hard materials may lead ultimately to the synthesis of diamond itself.

As all of these projects can make important contributions to the eventual solution to this wartime supply problem, they deserve the continued support of both industry and Government.

Senator MALONE. What did you say in the preliminary statement about the consumption of this material annually?

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Around 12 million carats. That was the 1952 figIt has been rising.

ure.

Senator MALONE. About what percentage would be salvaged, in your judgment?

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Would be salvaged?

Senator MALONE. I understood you to say that certain numbers of diamonds will be recovered this year.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. They have never reached a million carats yet, but they hope to reach the order of a million.

Senator MALONE. That would be about 8 to 10 percent.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Yes.

Senator MALONE. If the emergen

two, what percentage of this 121

by other grinding methods and other methods, say, in drilling, if any such substitute is available?

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Of course, that would depend entirely upon the degree of the emergency. In other words, the amount of diamond on hand, and so forth.

Senator MALONE. Yes. Of course. Just take it for granted that suddenly you just had to get right down to bedrock, what percentage within the next year or two do you think you could displace with other methods.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. The answer to that would depend entirely on how you assumed some of these alternate grinding methods could be developed. I have seen estimates that purported to claim that as much as 25 percent could be substituted or displaced, if you will, within the first year with rising percentages over a period of 3 to 4 years thereafter, as the new methods were developed, as the familiarity of industry increased, and so forth. You could not assume that you could substitute a very high percent in the first year without losing substantially in the way of efficiency of operation.

Senator MALONE. I did understand you to say that there was a possibility of eventual substitution.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Yes; that is right, by these various means I outlined.

Senator MALONE. And that justifies in your judgment a continuation of the experiments along that line?

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Yes; that is right.

Senator MALONE. There is no difficulty, of course, in transportation of this material. That can be done by airplane or submarine.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. That is right. I was interested in your discussion of that with Mr. Zinner. Diamonds run about 2,200 carats to the pound so we are talking in the order of 2 or 3 tons of diamonds in a year, which, of course, could be put on a few airplanes. Nobody would be foolish enough to put them all on one. You could undoubt

edly fly them.

Senator MALONE. Or submarine or any other means of transporta

tion.

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Yes; that is right.

Senator MALONE. That is very interesting. Do you have a text?

Mr. JOSEPHSON. Yes.

Senator MALONE. The text on industrial diamond will be accepted and included at this point in Mr. Josephson's testimony. (The information is as follows:)

INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS

Diamond, the hardest mineral substance, has become an important strategic material because of its use as an abrasive. Diamonds are used both as individual stones, and as crushed material. The larger proportion of the latter is bonded into grinding wheels. The demand for industrial diamonds has increased greatly in recent years with the growth in use of cemented carbide cutting tools. These carbides are so hard that diamond grinding is required in the sharpening of tools and forming of other objects made from these materials. Diamonds also are used for core drilling, truing grinding wheels, and for wire drawing dies. Because of its esssentiality in these uses diamond has become a very important factor in

maintaining the high efficiency of American manufacturing methods. An estimate of the distribution of diamond use for 1952 is shown in the following table: Distribution of industrial diamond use in 1952

Whereas the United States is the largest consumer of diamonds, it produces none. Our supplies are obtained principally from Africa with small quantities from South America. World production in 1952 is shown in the following table: World production of diamonds in 1952

It is noteworthy that the Western Hemisphere accounts for only about 1 percent of the total world output.

Some 95 percent of the industrial diamond supply is marketed by the producers through an organization called the Industrial Distributors, Ltd. World production and imports to the United States during the past 5 years are shown in the following table:

Prior to the period of most rapid growth in use of industrials, producers and dealers had accumulated a stockpile of over 50 million carats. However, during World War II and since then this stockpile is said to have been reduced to the vanishing point and in the future the available supply will come almost entirely from current production.

Until recent years the demand has been reasonably well serviced by the producing industry and some supplies have been channeled into the United States strategic stockpile. However, in the past few years shortages have been experienced in spite of the major production expansion programs that have been undertaken by producers.

In case of an emergency in which the United States would be cut off from its African diamond supplies, the industries that have come to depend upon diamonds would face very serious problems. The relatively small production in South America might be increased somewhat through an aggressive exploration and development program but the potential of this area is unpredictable on the basis of the meager data at hand. Under these conditions placement of major dependence on South America is not warranted.

There is no current prospect of substantial commercial production in the United States. Fortunately, there are a number of means by which the United States can prepare for a possible wartime diamond shortage. Stockpiling is particularly advantageous because it provides the material with which consumers are familiar. Increasing the efficiency of grinding practice and recovery of diamond-bearing grinding sludges will conserve available supplies. Research by the Bureau of Mines has shown that proper orientation of diamonds in drilling bits will extend their lives materially-from 300 to 400 percent. Diamond salvage from sludges is receiving greater attention and it is estimated that almost 1 million carats will be salvaged by industry this year.

Progress is being made in the direction of self-sufficiency through the development of alternate grinding methods, including the electro-discharge processes, electrolytic processes, ultrasonic abrasive grinding, silicon carbide belt grinding, and silicon carbide wheel grinding. Research is also being done on hard materials which may serve as diamond substitutes. Information accumulated in research on the crystal structure and synthesis of these hard materials may lead ultimately to the synthesis of diamond itself.

As all of these projects can make important contributions to the eventual solution to this wartime supply problem, they deserve the continued support of both industry and Government.

Senator MALONE. Proceed.

FLUORSPAR

Mr. JOSEPHSON. The next commodity is fluorspar. Fluorspar has a number of essential uses. At present the largest single use is in steelmaking where it acts as a flux. The second largest use is as a raw material in the manufacture of hydrofluoric acid.

The United States is the largest consumer of fluorspar in the world. In 1952 it used a total of 521,000 tons, but domestic production capacity supplies only about two-thirds of the tonnage consumed. Mexico is the largest supplier of foreign fluorspar to the United States. Germany, Spain, Canada, and Italy also supply the United States with substantial quantities.

In the past few years there has been a shortage of fluorspar, but supplies have now increased sufficiently to satisfy current require

ments.

In event of an emergency that would cut off sources outside the Western Hemisphere it seems probable that the stockpile and increased production in the United States, Mexico, and Canada could meet the essential defense requirements. Facilities now in being in the United States could not supply all of the anticipated demand.

Fluorspar reserves containing 35 percent or more calcium fluoride would include nearly all the known deposits that are workable under