Government has requested that the Geological Survey of India conduct an investigation of the area. Indonesia.-Nickelfields of Australia N.L. has acquired a 75-percent interest in five mercury leases in West Kalimantan from Firina Dipanegara Corp. of Djakarta. The deposits are reported to contain over 3 million cubic yards of mercury-bearing ore, 21 samples of which assayed 0.24 percent mercury on an average. Ireland. During the first 6 months of 1971, Gortdrum Mines, Ltd., treated 3,321 tons of concentrate in the mercury extraction plant to recover 804 flasks as a byproduct at its copper and silver mine. Most of the mercury was exported to the United Kingdom through Cominco-Gardner, Ltd. Italy.-Production fell about 4 percent from 1970 to 42,671 flasks. The average ore grade was down slightly to 9.5 pounds of mercury per ton. It appears that inventories continued to build, and possibly reached close to 60,000 flasks by yearend. Exports remained level at 15,203 flasks. West Germany was the largest buyer, followed by East Germany, Romania, and France. Exports to the United Kingdom decreased substantially from those of 1970. Japan. Shipments of cinnabar concentrate from the Red Devil mine in Alaska to the Nomura Mining Co. were discontinued during the year. Consumption of mercury in the past few years has been about 30,000 flasks, most of which was used by the chlor-alkali industry. Mexico. With substantial reductions in production and export taxes, essentially all mercury production is being legally declared, and smuggling has become insignificant. Mercurio Mexicana, S.A. de C.V., is in the process of expanding its present floatation mill at Mazapil, Zacatecas, to a 750ton-per-day capacity. Once in operation, the plant will produce 10,000 flasks annually, about double the present rate. In order to supply the additional feed for this mill, the existing Tiro General mine shaft slash will be increased from 13 feet to 18 feet. Peru. Near the town of Huancavelica, the Santa Bárbara mine, Peru's only producer, stockpiled most of its output. The ore is said to average 10 pounds of mercury per ton. Mining technicians in Peru have estimated that at the normal rate of exploitation the Santa Bárbara cinnabar deposits would last another 10 to 12 years. Spain. Mine production increased 48 percent from 1970 to 67,528 flasks. Metal production was 48,843 flasks indicating some ore stockpiling. The ore grade apparently dipped in 1971 to about 30 pounds of mercury per ton. Plans made public by the Plan Nacional de la Mineria indicate that by 1980 total production for Spain will be 80,250 flasks. Of this total, Minas de Almadén, the State-owned company, will account for 70,000 flasks. Some Table 11.-Mercury: World production, by country 2 Although total for 1971 is reported in sources, the distribution of that total by countries is not. Detailed figures given are the exports to listed countries for the first 6 months only; the undistributed total for the last 6 months (including additional shipments to listed destinations )is included with other countries and undis tribted. Officially reported mercury content of ore mined. Official metal production figures are as follows, in flasks: 1969-64,531; 1970-44,736; 1971-48,843. Table 12.-Mercury: Exports from Italy, Spain, and Yugoslavia, by country 1 Source gives only a partial distribution of total, many recipient countries are not listed separately; the total for all such countries is listed under "Other countries and undistributed." Although total for 1971 is reported in sources, the distribution of that total by countries is not. Detailed figures given are the exports to listed countries for the first 6 months only; the undistributed total for the last 6 months (including additional shipments to listed destinations) is included with other countries and undistributed. Less than 1⁄2 unit. Partial figure (first 6 months only). Revised to zero. mercury observers view the expansion policy as unduly optimistic in view of the current depressed state of the mercury market and the unlikelihood of any marked increase in world demand over the next few years. Exports decreased significantly to 32,895 flasks. The mercury in stocks may possibly be about 50,000 flasks. In August, the Spanish Government increased the tax refund on exports from 1.5 percent to 9 percent to make Spanish mercury more competitive on the world market. Turkey. A recent report of Turkey's mercury potential indicated that there exist total ore reserves of 60 million tons, with a grade of between 4 and 6 pounds of mercury per ton. Six modern mercury plants, two of which are operated by Etibank, have an annual capacity of about 12,000 flasks. Planned expansions will increase capacity to about 15,000 flasks by the end of 1972. U.S.S.R.-Three mercury deposits have been reported in the Caucasus Mountains. Development of these deposits will probably start within a year and will increase existing production, which has largely originated from the Shorbulakh mine. TECHNOLOGY Fulmer Research Institute of Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, England, has installed a new vacuum chamber in which to test two recently-built mercury ion engines. The ion engine, which derives its thrust from the ejection of a beam of mercury ions, offers a promising technique for long-duration space missions. The growing concern over environmental contamination by mercury has encouraged increased research activity into the detection of low-level mercury in air, water, and biota. Several instruments were introduced during the year that have the capability of detecting mercury concentrations Metal Bulletin. No. 5660, Dec. 21, 1971, p. 19. as low as 1 part in 10 billion. In a method developed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, mercury contamination in fish can be measured at sea, in 1 minute, with 40 parts per billion sensitivity. This new type of atomic absorption spectrometer detects trace mercury based on hyperfine structure lines in a magnetic field. The advantage cited was that no chemical separation from the host material is necessary. A simple rapid neutron activation method for mercury in fish tissue has been described in the literature. The technique employs separation of the activated mercury as a mercuric tetrachloride complex ion on an anion-exchange resin and direct counting of the absorbed mercury. The analyses have a 10-percent deviation for samples containing mercury in the 0.05 to 10 parts per million range. The chlor-alkali industry has mounted a huge effort to develop and implement the technology for reducing mercury emissions into the environment.8 One company has obtained exclusive world rights to build mercury recovery systems based on the sodium borohydride process.9 The company estimates that chemical costs of the process run about $1 per pound of recovered mercury. Two Canadian companies were installing a process for precipitating the mercury as insoluble mercuric sulfide from chlor-alkali plant effluents.10 A zinc-dust bed that can reduce mercury in industrial waste streams to as low as 2 parts per billion was reported.11 At the Bureau of Mines Reno Metallurgy Research Center, Reno, Nev., pilot plant studies were completed on the electrooxidation of cinnabar ores. Over 40 different ores were tested for amenability resulting in 90 to 99 percent mercury recovery. Several mining companies have ex pressed interest in designing plants based on the procedure. Studies at the University of Nevada under a Bureau Research Grant have been directed toward a better understanding of the mechanism of the electrooxidation process. A publication by researchers at the College Park Metallurgy Research Center, College Park, Md., described the collection of methyl mercury and inorganic mercury by a selective chelating resin.12 The collected mercury is readily eluted over the pH range 1 to 9, and the resin can be reused for many cycles. For analytical applications, the two forms of mercury can be separated by collection at a pH of less than 1. It was also found that a methyl group attached to the mercuric ion produced an enhancement of 50 percent in the atomic absorption signal compared with the signal from the inorganic mercuric ion.13 5 American Metal Market. V. 78, No. 124, June 29, 1971, p. 16. Mining Journal (London). V. 277, No. 7103, Oct. 8, 1971, p. 325. 6 Hadeishi, T., and R. D. McLaughlin. Hyperfine Zeeman Effect Atomic Absorption Spectrometer for Mercury. Science. V. 174, No. 4007, Oct. 22, 1971, pp. 404-08. Rottschafer, J. M., J. D. Jones, and H. B. Mark, Jr. A Simple, Rapid Method for Determining Trace Mercury in Fish via Neutron Activation Analysis. Environmental Science and Technology. V. 5, No. 4, April 1971, pp. 336-38. 8 Rosenzweig, M. D. Paring Mercury Pollution. Chemical Engineering. V. 78, No. 5, Feb. 22, 1971, pp. 70-72. Chemical and Engineering News. V. 49, No. 51, Dec. 13, 1971, p. 35. 10 Chemical and Engineering News. V. 49, No. 43, Oct. 18, 1971, p. 41. 11 Chemical Engineering. V. 78, No. 5, Feb. 22, 1971, p. 63. 12 Law, S. L. Methyl Mercury and Inorganic Mercury Collection by a Selective Chelating Resin. Science. V. 174, No. 4006, Oct. 15, 1971, pp. 285 88. 13 Law, S. L. Absorption Enhancement by an Organo-Metallic in Aqueous Solution-Methyl Mercury in Dilute Acid. Atomic Absorption Newsletter. V. 10, June 1971, pp. 75-76. Sheet Mica. After no reported production of sheet mica in 1970, 17,005 pounds of punch and circle mica, valued at $6,652, was produced in Colorado and North Carolina. The average value of this material was low, indicating low quality. The probability of any continued long-term domestic sheet production remained unlikely. Scrap and Flake Mica.—The output of scrap and flake mica increased 7 percent in quantity and 15 percent in value. North Carolina was the major producer of scrap and flake mica, accounting for slightly over half of the total domestic output. Nine States accounted for the remaining output. Beneficiation of material from pegmatite and kaolin deposits was the major source of flake mica. The major portion of this material was processed to ground mica for various industrial end uses. Ground Mica.-Sales of ground mica increased 4 percent in quantity and 13 percent in value over those of 1970. Dryground mica accounted for 86 percent of total sales. Sixteen companies, operating a total of 20 plants, processed scrap and flake to a small particle size. Of these plants, 15 produced dry-ground mica; three, wet-ground; and two, both wetand-dry-ground. Development was begun on a muscovite mica deposit located on Pequea Creek near Lancaster Pa. The Aguda Mining Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa., has drilled and trenched the property and has estimated reserves at 35 million tons. The mica from the deposit will be wet-ground for marketing.2 1 Physical scientist, Division of Nonmetallic Minerals. 2 Skillings' Mining Review. Developing Mica Deposit in Pennsylvania. V. 60, No. 23, June 25, 1971, p. 22. Table 2.-Mica sold or used by producers in the United States W Withheld to avoid disclosing individual company confidential data, included with "Other." 1 Includes finely divided mica recovered from mica and sericite schist, and mica that is a byproduct of feldspar and kaolin beneficiation. Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and South Dakota. 1 Table 3.-Ground mica sold by producers in the United States by methods of grinding 1 Sheet Mica.-Consumption of sheet mica, consisting of block, film, and splittings, declined from 6.5 million pounds in 1970 to 5.5 million pounds in 1971. About 1.2 million pounds of block mica was consumed for the production of vacuum tubes, capacitors, and various other electrical and nonelectrical products. Of the total consumption, vacuum tubes required 72 percent and capacitors accounted for 2 percent. Lower than Stained quality was in greatest demand, accounting for 58 percent of total consumption; Stained, 40 percent; and Good Stained or better, the remainder. Muscovite block and film was consumed by 15 companies in seven States. New Jersey with four consuming plants, and North Carolina and New York, with three each, consumed 62 percent of the domestically fabricated block and film mica. The consumption of phlogopite block increased 10 percent, to 67,149 pounds. Total consumption of mica splittings decreased almost 20 percent from that of 1970. India and the Malagasy Republic supplied the bulk of the splittings consumed. Splittings were fabricated into various built-up mica products by 11 companies with 12 plants in nine States. Five companies with six plants, two in New York, two in Pennsylvania, and one each in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, consumed 3.5 million pounds of splittings, or almost 85 percent of the total consumption. |