The larger part of the vanadium that has been used in this country has come from the mines of the American Vanadium Co. in Peru, but the Primos Chemical Co. produced an amount of vanadium from its claims at Newmire, San Miguel County, Colorado, that at least tended to give some real competition to the American Vanadium Co. As already stated, these claims are not nearly as rich or productive as they were, but they are probably good for several years more. The ore from Peru can be counted on probably for several years at something like the present output. The same statement applies to carnotite ore, and it is likely that the production of vanadium from carnotite may increase to some extent, as the demand for radium is strong, and there may be a consequent increase in the treatment of lower-grade carnotite. As this low-grade material usually carries more vanadium, the production of vanadium from this source may increase.
Vanadinite may prove to be a source of vanadium, although it is doubtful whether any large quantity can be produced from this mineral. As already stated, cuprodescloizite is probably the best source for an immediate increase in production.
As regards foreign countries other than Peru, Russia is the only one likely to produce any appreciable amount of vanadium ores, and undoubtedly no such production will be obtained until industrial conditions are more settled.
POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL CONTROL
The American Vanadium Co. holds its mines in Peru through a concession from the Peruvian government. Thus at least two-thirds of the vanadium production of the world is practically in the hands of the Peruvian government, although the company operating is American.
Formerly the American Vanadium Co. was the only producer of vanadium products and ferrovanadium in the world. The price of vanadium was then somewhere around $5.00 per pound for the metallic vanadium content of the ferrovanadium. Later the Primos Chemical Co. came into the field, and the American Vanadium Co. cut the price. On account of the large deposits of ore that the Primos Chemical Co. had in Colorado, the result was simply a lowering of the price of ferrovanadium. Undoubtedly, if it were not for this competition the price of vanadium during that period would have been higher than it was, and if it were not for the Primos Chemical Co., the American Vanadium Co. would have had practically a monopoly of the whole vanadium production, as the output from carnotite was not large enough to affect the market seriously. As it was, these two companies controlled more than 90 per cent. of the ore supply, and thus the recent change of ownership to the Vanadium Products Corporation will enable the latter to fix the price, as well as to regulate the consumption and thus prolong the availability of a useful metal which otherwise would be likely to soon become exhausted. The principal vanadium deposits of Chihuahua, Mexico, are controlled by the Madero estate (Mexican).
This dominance of control of sources of supply has made control through ownership of reduction plants, patents and secret processes of less importance.
CHAPTER IX
ANTIMONY
By H. G. Ferguson and D. A. Hall
USES OF ANTIMONY
The following summary of the uses of antimony is taken from Mineral Resources of United States, 1918.[90]