2 Less than 1⁄2 unit.

World

mica production varied only slightly from that of the previous year. India and the Malagasy Republic were the major producers of muscovite and phlogopite mica, respectively.

Canada.-Effort was made during the year to develop a large phlogopite mica deposit located at Parent, Quebec Province. The deposit was discovered in 1964 and has indicated reserves greater than 11 million tons with a minimum mica content of 70 to 85 percent. It is thought that the area can be mined by open pit or underground methods. The deposit is currently owned by Provinces X Explorations Ltd. of Quebec, which intends to develop the de

posit initially for the use of the construction and agricultural industries and later for other end uses of mica.3

India. Crude mica production (based on exports plus consumption) declined slightly from 36,299 short tons in 1970 to 35,119 tons in 1971. Exports also declined from 29,699 tons valued at US$22.1 million in 1970, to 26,319 tons valued at US$21.7 million in 1971. Thirty-two percent of exports consisted of sheet mica in 1971, compared with 31 percent in 1970. The remainder consisted of other forms of processed mica. Production in 1970 came from 504 privately operated mica mines.

3 Industrial Minerals (London). Qui vent du mica de Quebec? No. 51, December 1971, p. 31.

2 Exports.

* Includes condenser film, washer, and discs.

Laboratory batch and continuous tests

were

re

run on the micacious sediments of the Nolichucky Reservoir near Greenville, Tenn., to develop a process for the recovery of commercial-grade muscovite mica concentrates. The tests showed that a simple two-stage concentration method covered salable-quality flake mica. Preconcentration by use of a Humphreys spiral eliminated the heavy mineral fraction and substantially increased flotation feed grade. Sampling of the sediments of the Nolichucky Reservoir indicated that a minimum of 250,000 tons of flake mica are recoverable using this method.1

A method has been developed to break apart natural or synthetic mica into very fine particles that are suitable for use in the manufacture of reconstituted mica. Mica crystals are slurried in a fluid me

dium and passed at high velocity in oriented streams through openings to cause turbulence which disintegrates the crystals in planes corresponding to the principal axes of the solid crystal lattice. The resulting small particle size mica has a large specific surface area and high ratio of length to thickness.5

The composition, properties, and uses of wet ground mica were discussed, and it was concluded that the addition of small particle size mica to some paints improved the corrosion resistance of the paint.6

* Adair, Ralph B., and Jerome O. Crabtree. Recovery of Mica From Silt Deposits in the Nolichucky Reservoir, Tennessee. Bu Mines Rept. of Inv. 7488, March 1971, 9 pp.

Ruzika, J. Ultradisintegration and Agglomeration of Minerals Such as Mica, Products Therefrom and Apparatus Therefore. U.S. Pat. 3,608,835, Sept. 28, 1971.

"American Paint Journal. Use and Performance of Wet Ground Mica Explained at Buffalo. V. 55, No. 45, Apr. 26, 1971, p. 24.

Free world molybdenum output dropped 5.6 million pounds compared with that of 1970 because of a worldwide industrial recession. In response to a weak demand, some mining facilities curtailed operations and several high-cost mines ceased production during the year to reduce output. At yearend, United States industrial and Government stocks of molybdenum material exceeded the 100 million pounds mark, one of the highest on record. Also, the industrial stocks in Canada, Japan, and other industrialized countries reportedly were at record levels.

Despite the oversupply, large expenditures were obligated for new mines; however, completion dates for some of these facilities were rescheduled. The short-range outlook is for a significant increase in new molybdenum production capacity from both primary and coproduct sources.

United States: Concentrate:

Legislation and Government Programs. -The Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) revised conventional war stockpile objectives for molybdenum from 36.5 million pounds to zero. In declaring molybdenum surplus, OEP's action made it available for disposal through the General Services Administration (GSA). However, Congress must approve legislation for its sale.

At yearend, molybdenum material in the national stockpile totaled 46.8 million pounds, about 318,000 pounds lower than yearend 1970. Approximately 5.5 million pounds of stored molybdenum in concentrate and in oxide was classed as sold but unshipped. At current price quotations, the value of material in the stockpile exceeds $77 million.

Domestic molybdenum production in concentrate for 1971 declined 1.8 million pounds and was nearly 2 percent below that of 1970. Of the total output, 65 percent was produced from primary molybdenum sources and the balance was recovered as coproduct of copper, tungsten, and uranium ores.

Output of molybdenum from primary ores in 1971 dropped to 71.3 million pounds from 76.5 million pounds produced in 1970. Molybdenum production from primary sources declined from 68 to 65 percent of the total domestic output in 1971. Nearly 23 million tons of primary ores were mined in 1971 for the their molybdenum content. As in past years, the Climax mine in Colorado of American Metal Climax, Inc. (AMAX), was the world's largest producer.

Output of molybdenum from coproduct sources rose over 10 percent compared with 1970 figures. The increase in output was due to a strong demand for copper and full-year operations of new mines. Of the 15 copper-porphyry plants reporting production of molybdenum, nine increased in output and the remainder had lower production. Molybdenum recovered from uranium ores approximated that produced in 1970; that from tungsten ores dropped significantly in 1971 compared with 1970. Over 38.2 million pounds of molybdenum was recovered from processing 153 million tons of molybdenum-bearing copper, tungsten, and uranium ores containing from 3 to 8 pounds of molybdenum per ton.

Pennzoil United, Inc., the parent company of Duval Corp. and Duval Sierrita Corp., was the leading domestic producer of molybdenum from coproduct sources, a position held by Kennecott Copper Corp. for many years. Other large producers of coproduct molybdenum were, in order of output, Kennecott Copper Corp., Magma Copper Co., and American Smelting and Refining Co. (Asarco).

A copper industry-wide labor dispute closed some coproduct molybdenum producers at midyear. The strike was of short duration and did not effect the supply of molybdenum. Also at midyear, the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Worker's Union signed a 3-year contract with AMAX, operator of the Climax and Urad molybdenum mines and the Henderson project. The

contract provides for annual wage increases of 8.5, 7.5, and 7 percent respectively, for each of the next 3 years. Improved insurance coverage and retirement benefits also were included in the labor agreement. Approximately 1,651 workers were covered by the contract.

Molybdenum remained in oversupply because of lower than anticipated consumption, principally by the steel industry. In response to lower requirements, several mines curtailed production during the year and operations at one coproduct facility were shutdown at yearend. However, many coproduct facilities, including those starting production in the last half of 1970, operated at near designed capacity and contributed to the surplus.

Duval Corp. suspended mining and milling operations at the Esperanza copper-molybdenum property near Tucson, Ariz. The closing became necessary because of a cutback in smelter throughput by Asarco, the processor of their copper concentrate. Asarco advised Duval Corp. that the production level at its Hayden, Ariz., smelter was reduced to meet air-quality standards imposed by the Arizona State Board of Health.

Duval Sierrita Corp.'s open-pit coppermolybdenum mine completed its first full year of operation, the facility started production in mid-1970. At yearend, an expansion of the mine and mill was completed. The copper-molybdenum throughput was increased to 82,000 tons per day. To control air pollutants, the company installed additional dust-collecting and gas-scrubbing equipment at the roasting plant at a cost of $1.3 million.

ore

Molybdenum Corporation of America (Molycorp) curtailed molybdenum production at the Questa mine in New Mexico. The company, second largest domestic producer of primary molybdenum, vacationed nearly one-third of its employees at midyear, mostly mine production workers.

Mine development continued at the AMAX Henderson molybdenum deposit near Empire, Colo. Major work projects underway in 1971 were preparation and construction of a mill site, tailings disposal area, and pond. The western section of a 9.3-mile ore tunnel was under construction; Dravo Corp. was the contractor. The No. 2 shaft was sunk through very difficult