Show ARSENIC SUPPLY IS STILL SHORT BUT FUTURE OUTLOOK IS IMPROVING 4 the output of new refined and crude arsenic in the united cited states in 1922 all of which was sold amounted to EWO E WO short tons according to final reports received from producers by V C heikes of the dep department artmont of the interior inferior geological survey additional sales from stocks brought tile the total quantity marketed to tons valued ig t the sales of crude arsenic 70 to per ent pure pe amounted to 1122 tons and the average selling ait price was 62 cents a pound at the plants most of this J it material was converted at the places of production into R sodium for killing weeds and small lots of it were exported for agricultural use the sales of white or refined arsenic per cent pure amounted to 0 short tons and the average selling price was 75 cents per pound f 0 1 b refinery I 1 red sulphide or recovered from ore treated by flotation at gold bar wash was placed on the market to compete with the synthetic product shipped from germany no sales of elemental arsenic were reported except desales of the metal from germany the imports of white arsenic ac according cordin to the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce amounted to tons up to september 21 1922 when the new tariff law Dt dec dine Caille effective durin during the rest of the year according to reports from brokers tons were imported which brings the total supply of white arsenic for the year up to about 10 16 tons minimum demand for white arsenic in 1923 the minimum possible demand for white arsenic in 1923 was placed last december at tons but me ine demand now expected will be much greater for example t the he minimum demand included only tons to be made into calcium arsenate whereas the demand may be tons As already shown by D R coad of the bureau of entomology department of agrico agriculture sture as much as 25 pounds of calcium arsenate equivalent to about tons of white arsenic may be available for use as insecticide sect icide during the season of 1923 so that there will probably be some shortage of calcium arsenate though it will not be so great as w was a s at first expected mr heikes estimate of the production in 1923 based on operations in the first quarter is placed at tons of refined white arsenic and tons of crude white arsenic the imports from mexico may amount to tons and those from other countries will probably raise the total to tons this estimate does not include the possible output of several small operators who may further increase the domestic output before the end of the year it appears therefore that as soon as the spring demand from manufacturers of insecticides decline the supply of white arsenic will be sufficient to supply all needs prices expected to rule around ac pound owing to the aih high prices quoted for white arsenic in 1922 buyers in new york reported that they had received offers in december from several foreign sources one thousand tons annually was promised from greece and current supplies were offered from australia belgium germany and france the belief has been expressed that with increased production at home and abroad the potential supplies for 1924 are increasing rapidly and that after consumption begins to decline next august there may be a rather serious though temporary break in the market after which the price of white arsenic arseni c may become established at 8 to 10 cents a pound A stable price of 8 cents or more a pound and continued growth of demand may encourage e the enlargement of active byproduct by product white arsenic plants and the e establishment of new plants at certain of the greater smelters shelters sm elters direct production can not furnish cheap arsenic but tile the establishment ment at favorable points of plants for the recovery of arsenic and the reshipment of the residues to smelters shelters sm elters for recovery of precious and base metals may be advantageous to the miner the smelter and the consumer arsenic sulphide ore and concentrates require but little fuel and their toasted residues can be smelted smelter more cheaply than the original ores and concentrates the success of such ai an 1 arsenic plant il necessarily ce scarily depends upon a continued stead steady y or increasing demand for domestic arsenic |