Show BIG INCREASE IN ALUMINUM the year 1912 in the aluminum industry was marked by a notable increase in the use of that metal more than pounds being consumed compared with pounds in the preceding year not only was there an increase in the domestic production but there was a decided growth in the imports of the metal according to W 0 phalen of the united states geological survey in an advance chapter from A mineral lineral resources for 1912 to meet in part the growing demand for aluminum the southern aluminum corn coni pany with a large capital has acquired a waterpower water power site on yadkin badkin river north carolina and is now engaged in the development of the property the projected operations erat ions of the company and the additional fact that the importation of foreign aluminum is being stimulated by a keen demand in the future for consumers in the united states the aluminum company of america has secured certain riparian rights in north carolina and tennessee and is planning development of a water power for use in an aluminum plant to be constructed at such point as will insure good freight rates and an adequate labor su supply P ply in addition to this expansion in the south the coni comp companas pany anys is ro reported ported to be working on additions to its new york pennsylvania and illinois plants A recently developed branch of the aluminum industry is the manufacture of the powdered metal which is used extensively ten as a paint pigment in explosives in lithographing litho graphing t and in printing the m material a feels ver very y much like powdered graph graphite aburn aluminum inurn foil though not exactly a new product is now being used on a larger scale than ever before owing to the t improved methods which have lowered cost of making it appreciably it is ls n reported to be displacing tin foil tor for arap P ping such articles as tobacco and candy camuy the employment of metallic ac aluminum alunan in the manufacture 0 of f cooking ut utensil ensile Is construe now being extended to the of tanks cooking vats and vessels employed by breweries preserve tortes tories and similar industries where heat conduction non corrosion and a non poison polson ous nature are essential the expansion in the use of extruded forms and tubing made of aluminum has been great during the last bev years the difficulties encountered in such use have been largely surmounted and these articles are now being turned out with high tensile strength and with very compact structure in almost any form called for I 1 the use of aluminum wire as a conductor in long distance power transmission schemes is not new but recent departures from the ordinary practice bid fair to enlarge this application of the metal it is reported that a steel re enforced aluminum cable consisting in all of seven strands has been placed upon the market the six outer strands are made of aluminum and the inner strand is made of steel of very high tensile strength it is asserted that this conductor both transmits the electrical current and has the requisite strength for use on the towers which are rapidly displacing poles in transmission lines the pacific light power company of los angeles california has adopted this product for its new transmission line the employment of metallic aluminum in the manufacture of articles of everyday use has become so common that such articles fall fail to attract attention as novelties the present demand in this direction seems to be for skillful originality in designing new forms and applications the domestic production of bauxite the ore from which aluminum is derived during 1912 was long tons valued at compared with the output in the preceding year these figures represent an increase in quantity of long tons and in value of it is significant however that the importation of metallic aluminum of different grades increased enormously in 1912 a fact which may probably account for the small increase in the production and the decrease in the imports ot of bauxite though bauxite deposits are being found from time to time and though the present demand does not appear to tax unduly the known supply of the lower grade of material the interest now being taken in the preparation of pure from clay or other silicate minerals is worthy of note As soon as a process for the extraction of from clay is put on a commercial basis the large quantities of low grade bauxite containing considerable mixtures admixtures ad or of clay will become available there is a large tonnage of such material associated with most of the southern appalachian bauxite deposits this material should first be tested before the non bauxite clays contain ing the smallest amount of are utilized two processes have recently been patented for the extraction of arom clay and other patents having for their object the extraction of potash salts and from silicates like the feldspars feld spars were taken out in 1912 the processes are described in the geological surveys report on bauxite and aluminum for 1912 the report the production of bauxite and aluminum in 1912 may be obtained free of charge by addressing the director U S geological survey washington D 0 |