Show THE SUPPLY OF GRAPHITE although the value alue v of the graphite imported into the united states in 1913 was almost twice th the e domestic production the cutting off of the foreign supply should seriously affect only the crucible industry Y there is an ample supply of graphite in this country suited for stove polish foundry facings and paint pigments and large deposits of amorphous graphite in northern mexico now comparatively peaceful are controlled by american firms and can be depended upon for supplies of graphite for pencils lubricating material and many other uses moreover graphite is now being manufactured in the electric furnaces at niagara palls falls in amounts far in of the domestic production from ns natural excess sources and this graphite is well adapted adana fl for most of the uses to which gra graphite graphia phit ls applied the graphite for which we depend mainly on foreign sources is that used in the manufacture of crucibles cruci bles and other refractory frac tory products but as these uses ably consume over half of the graphite used in this country such dependence is a matter of no small importance moreover the manufacture of crucible steel requires graphite crucibles cruci bles the graphite used in crucible making has been brought largely from the british island of ceylon although within the last few years some has been brought from the french island of madaga car this graphite is flaky or fibrous and for this reason is eminently adapted ib b crucible making for this use it has never met with serious competition from domestic graphite the earthy arphous amorphous am graphite mined in this country and the graphite manufactured at niagara falls are not adapted to this use and as a rule the expense of concentrating domestic flake graphite has been prohibitive nevertheless it is to the domestic supplies of flake graphite that this country must look in the event of supplies being cut off practically inexhaustible supplies of this material are known to occur in N new ew york new jersey pennsylvania north carolina alabama texas and some other states and are fully described in the reports of the united states geological survey fi urvey similar deposits are abundant in canada the graphite in these deposits occurs as small flakes in rocks composed mainly of quartz feldspar and mica the graphite constituting 5 to 10 per cent by weight several plants are now engaged in working such deposits and many others now idle could be put on a producing basis in a short time and at little expense although the product might not be equal to the ceylon graphite in all respects for crucible making there is no question that it would be adequate for similar graphite used in has for years been successfully germany another american resources is the fontana jon tana graphite deposit near dillon to that the graphite there is very similar from ceylon and should be adaptable for crucible making although the depolia dep does not compare in size with the cey aid ai 13 material deposits it might render case of a shortage |