SUMMARY
The essential uses of zinc are: in brass, the alloy with copper, an indispensable material in modern industry; in galvanizing as rolled sheets; and in desilverizing lead bullion. The consumption is greatest in galvanizing. The amount used in the form of rolled sheets will increase.
Zinc and lead are commonly associated in their ores and are widely distributed over the world, but the countries of largest ore production are, in order, United States, Germany, and Australia. Burma will soon be of importance. Siberia can produce much ore in the near future, but exploitation will be retarded by political conditions and geographic isolation. Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Bolivia may be expected to increase their output.
The successful commercial application of electro-magnetic, electro-static, and more especially oil flotation processes to the separation and concentration of complex ores has made available vast resources, adding to the list of regions of ore production and materially affecting their relative importance.
Economic factors, particularly availability and cost of fuel and skilled labor in retort smelting and market for spelter, determined the location of reduction works in populous industrial districts adjacent to coal fields. The mineral resources, however, in many instances occur in countries either undeveloped industrially or without abundant and cheap fuel, and a large percentage of the zinc ores are transported from the producing country to another for treatment. In the order of their importance the countries making the most spelter are: the United States, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain and France.
Commercial control of the industry has been based chiefly on the control of reduction plants and ore-buying and metal-selling organizations rather than on ownership of deposits, and to be effective it necessarily became international in scope. Before 1914 an organization, apparently international in character, but really dominated by Germans, had through control on this basis achieved a commanding position in the industry, influencing output and prices quite effectively. During the World War, however, political jurisdiction was largely invoked to restore control of the resources of a country and industries to citizens of that country or its allies. This movement has been particularly marked in the British Empire, wherein there now exists a joint political and commercial control through the Zinc Producers’ Association and contracts in which the governments are participants, and in France, where the Société Minerais et Metaux, under government auspices, comprises all the principal mining and metallurgical companies controlled by French capital and is the arbiter of the metal industry.
A decentralization of the industry and redistribution of reduction works is to some extent resulting from the successful application of electrolytic reduction and to the dissemination of knowledge of the practice of retort smelting.
The British Empire as a unit should be able to dominate the industry in Europe during the near future. France, through political and commercial control of Algeria and Tunis, and large financial control in Belgium, Spain and Poland, will be in a strong position. Belgium, with minor but widespread financial interests in mines and works in France, Germany, England, Sweden, Spain, Algiers and Tunis, is an important factor in the European situation. Its interests appear closely affiliated with those of France. The United States, with large reduction capacity and ore reserves, while maintaining its position as largest producer, is expected to supply domestic consumption but to export little, as was the case prior to the war. The position of Germany will depend mainly upon the supply of foreign ore, which may have to be imported largely from Mexico and the United States.
CHAPTER XVII
TIN
By James M. Hill[140]
[140] The writer hereby expresses his thanks to Adolph Knopf, of the United States Geological Survey, and R. R. Horner, of the United States Bureau of Mines, for their assistance in the preparation of this article.