Russia. From a recent interesting article by Minevitch and Malisoff 21 the following notes are abstracted: The Russian potash industry has its origin in antiquity. At first the potash was derived from wood ashes. Later, as forests were depleted and wood was used for other purposes, the peasants began burning for potash all sorts of plants and weeds, but largely pigweeds, which possess a high potash content. Toward the end of the nineteenth century considerable attention was given to the utilization of sunflower stalks as a means of getting a steady and growing supply of potash. This source is to-day the basis of a considerable potash industry which is localized chiefly in the Kuban Province, in southeastern Russia. In 1917 the area under sunflower cultivation was 887,600 acres. There are now 24 factories with a total yearly capacity of 26,500 tons of potash, requiring for its production about 80,000 tons of ash. The maximum capacity has never been obtained, however, the peak production having been made in 1912, when 20,000 tons of potash was produced. The unsettled conditions during and since the war have seriously affected the industry. The maximum production of the present factories is approximately 60 per cent of their pre-war capacity, and every effort is being made to work them up to this limit. According to statistical data for the current year, 540,000 acres of sunflowers was cultivated, from which the factories expect to collect about 27,500 tons of ash and to produce over 10,000 tons of potash. The Kuban potash is known in foreign countries as Caucasian potash, and on account of its high quality it was able to compete with the German product. Aside from its cheaper cost, Caucasian potash is practically "sodium-free," which is considered another advantage. Russian exports average about 50 per cent of the production. Great Britain and Germany have hitherto bought large percentages of the Russian product. It is stated 22 that Russian potash is again being offered to American consumers after several years of interruption. Calcined potassium carbonate, 80 to 85 per cent and 90 to 95 per cent, is being imported regularly. Two sources of natural potassium nitrate in the Caucasus are described in a report by Consul John Randolph, Constantinople, prepared from information obtained in August and September, 1922. Both deposits are in the south range of the Caucasus Mountains, approximately 40 miles southeast of Tiflis. One is 6 miles south of the Dzegan railroad station. The salts contained in it have been proved by surface pits to be 80 feet deep. Analysis showed 3 per cent potassium nitrate. The other deposit, 15 miles from the Akstafa station, contains a large deposit which assays up to 10 per cent. Neither property is being operated.23 Spain. According to a report published in the Boletín del Instituto geológico de España, the latest investigation of the potash deposits of Catalonia, Spain, showed that they extend over an area 42 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide. Out of 23 borings made 19 21 Minevitch, J. R., and Malisoff, W. M., Extracting potash from Russian soil: Chem. and Met. Eng., Mar. 31, 1924. 22 Oil, Paint, and Drug Reporter, Oct. 8, 1923, p. 71. 23 Commerce Repts., July 2, 1923. have encountered the deposit, one at too great a depth for exploitation, the others at suitable depths. The best-known deposit lies at a depth of 200 to 800 meters. At present the contents are estimated at 2,000,000,000 tons of raw material. Exploitation is expected to begin shortly.24 Sweden. Government geologists have reported that Sweden has rich deposits of potash (mode of occurrence not stated) in the section southwest of Stockholm, and plans are going forward for the exploitation of a property estimated to contain 40,000,000 tons of potash minerals. Sweden has imported between 20,000 and 30,000 tons of potash annually during the last 10 years, and those interested in the new project hope to displace this potash with the domestic product.25 SUMMARY OF WORLD PRODUCTION In the following table, compiled by Miss W. I. Whiteside, are listed the countries which in the last few years have produced potash, together with the figures for their production of crude salts, where these are available. The countries here listed differ to some extent from those given in the table of imports (pp. 171-172), because in that table some of the countries from which the imports came were not themselves producers but received their supply from other countries. In both tables, however, the predominance of Germany and Alsace as producers of potash is clearly shown. "Chem. and Met. Eng., vol. 30, p. 31, Jan. 7, 1924. World's production of potash minerals and content of K20, 1913, 1919-1983, in metric tons A Figures not available; production unimportant. RECENT PATENTS The following United States patents on the recovery of potash from various sources have been issued recently. 1453797, May 1, 1923, Frederick W. Huber. Cement flue dust, containing insoluble potassium compounds, either before or after leaching with water, is mixed with an amount of carbon-for example, coal dust-substantially equal in weight to the K2O content of the flue dust, and lime in such proportions as to produce a mixture having a CaO: SiO2 ratio of about 2:1, and preferably not less than 2:1, producing a mass which, by heating in a rotary kiln to a temperature between 600° and 1,000° C., becomes a product in which substantially the entire content of potassium compounds is rendered water-soluble and can be separated by leaching with water. 1457787, June 5, 1923, E. Moldenke. Finely divided alunite is treated with more than sufficient H2SO, to convert the aluminum into sulphate, forming a base. The mixture is heated until it forms a brittle cake, and after the material is disintegrated it is introduced into a closed chamber and heated to cause evolution of fumes from the free acid present and render the values soluble in H2O. The heating and hardening of the pasty mixture may be carried out on a sheet-metal flexible conveyor, the flexing of which serves to break the caked material and dislodge it from the conveyor. Clay and bauxite when treated with H2SO4 may be similarly handled. 1466352, August 28, 1923, C. E. Dolbear. NH, is added to brine such as Searles Lake or Deep Springs (Calif.) brines and the brine is kept in agitation to convert KCl into K2SO, (by reaction with Na2SO4 first precipitated) and cause its precipitation. 1466353, August 28, 1923, C. E. Dolbear. Specifies a similar process except that Na2SO, or other soluble sulphate is also added to the brine to precipitate K2SO4. 1468389, September 18, 1923, H. W. Morse. During the solar evaporation of Searles Lake brine the sulphate content is controlled by the use of a brine high in carbonate to start the pond operation and the gradual addition of raw brine (concentrated by preliminary evaporation at such a temperature as will prevent the separation of solid potassium salts) to the prepared brine. The operation is conducted so that the original high carbonate and low sulphate content are restored by evaporation before further additions of raw brine to the pond are made. This mode of operation facilitates obtaining a rich potassium salt solution. 1468390, September 18, 1923, H. W. Morse. Specifies treating Searles Lake brine by heating in the presence of solid NaCl to remove a portion of the sulphate content. The brine is then subjected to solar evaporation to produce a solution high in carbonate, and brine containing substantially the full potassium salt content of Searles Lake brine is then added after preliminary evaporation at such a temperature as will prevent separation of solid potassium salts. Evaporation is then continued to restore the high carbonate content of the brine. 1476873, December 11, 1923, G. B. Burnham. Searles Lake brine is allowed to undergo natural evaporation and cooling to effect successive fractional crystallization of different salts in layers which may be mechanically separated after deposition. The evaporation may be effected in deep ponds which are naturally cooled by atmospheric temperatures prevailing in the autumn. 1495498, May 27, 1924, Franz A. Rody, assignor to Metallurgical Co. of New York. Treatment of feldspar, leucite, and the like. 1496264, June 3, 1924, F. Giordani. A process of treating leucitic rocks to eliminate the silica, which passes into solution with acid treatment, consisting in neutralizing the liquid and allowing it to settle, so that the silica may be deposited. BIBLIOGRAPHY UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 1923. MANSFIELD, G. R., Potash in 1922: Mineral Resources, 1922, pt. 2, pp. 87-107. MANSFIELD, G. R., and STEIGER, George, More evidence of potash in western Texas: Press Notice 16953, March 31. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1923. BRANDT, R. P., Potash from kelp; early development and growth of the giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera: Bull. 1191, December. 1924. MERZ, A. R., and Ross, W. H., The recovery of potash as a by-product in the blast-furnace industry: Bull. 1226, March. BUREAU OF FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC COMMERCE 1923. Commerce Repts.: July 2, Potassium nitrate and red and yellow ocher in the Caucasus, October 29, Potash and potash salts (Germany). 1924. Commerce Repts.: March 3, Dissension in the German potash industry over price policy. April 7, Polish production of superphosphates and potash salts. Chemical Trade Bulletins: February 15, No. 13-E, Germany-Potash industry. March 7, No. 16-E, Germany-Potash industry protests against lignite prices. May 3, No. 24-E, Germany-Potash. June 6, No. 28-E, France-Potash. June 6, No. 28-E, Morocco-Potash. GENERAL PAPERS 1923. BUDNIKOV, P. P., and SIRKIN, I. K., The causticizing of potash: Zeitschr. anorg. allgem. Chemie, vol. 128, pp. 131-136. DABNEY, C. W., The potash in the Texas Pandhandle region, paper delivered before the economic section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Cincinnati, December 19. DEGOUTIN, M., Description of an occurrence of salt now being formed and theories relative to old occurrences of rock salt and potash salts: Rev. géol., vol. 4, p. 259. Fox, J. T., Report on potash: Assoc. Official Agr. Chemists Jour., vol. 6, HARTWIG, G., Die Salz "Seismogramme," ihre tektonische und praktische HOF, HANS, Advances in the potash industry in 1919-1922: Chem. KRISCHE, PAUL, Das Kali-die Gewinnung, Verarbeitung und Verwertung ANON., America making highest quality of potash: Manufacturers Rec., Teeple asserts German potash monopoly is now fully broken: Potash from Germany for foods from United States: Oil, Paint, and Drug Reporter, December 24, p. 19 (brief note). 1924. COWIE, G. A., The effects and uses of potash fertilizers: Chem. Age (London), vol. 10, pp. 87-88. CURTIS, H. A., Fertilizers: The world supply (the world's potash resources and potash deposits in the United States): Am. Fertilizer, vol. 60, No. 6, pp. 26-27, March 22. MACDOWELL, C. H., Marketing of potash-how an important fertilizer is bought and sold: Eng. and Min. Jour.-Press, vol. 117, No. 14, April 5, pp. 557-558. MAS, ERNEST, Potash still under German control, and how we can become independent: Am. Economist, vol. 73, No. 11, March 14, pp. 92-95. SMITH, GEORGE OTIS, and MANSFIELD, G. R., Potash, the key to prosperous agriculture: Am. Bankers Assoc. Jour., vol. 16, No. 11, May, pp. 715-717. ANON., Texas potash possibilities should appeal to American capitalists for development: Manufacturers Rec., vol. 85, No. 5, January 31, pp. 59-60 (mainly quotation of paper by C. W. Dabney delivered before the economic section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Cincinnati, December 19, 1923). |