Europe.
—The magnesite deposits of Austria and Hungary, which until recently furnished much of the world’s supply, extend along a northeast line for several hundred miles across the two countries. The mineral occurs in lenses. A large deposit near Veitsch, Austria, measures 700 to 800 feet from the top to the base. The ore is quarried in a series of benches. Another very large deposit in Austria is at Radenthein. The magnesite is quarried by great cuts, and lowered by gravity to rotary kilns. Calcining is done near the mine and both grain and magnesite bricks are shipped. The property was owned by Americans before the war and much of the output went to American ports.
The magnesite in these deposits is crystalline and occurs in dolomite, probably of Carboniferous age, from which it was derived by the infiltration of magnesium carbonate solutions and the leaching out of soluble calcium carbonate. It is finely to coarsely crystalline, yellow or bluish-white, carries 3 to 4.5 per cent. iron oxide, less than 2 per cent. silica, and less than 3 per cent. lime. It calcines readily to the dead-burned state and makes satisfactory grain magnesite and brick for refractory purposes.
Deposits of magnesite were worked for many years near Frankenstein, Silesia, Germany.
In the Province of Santander, in northern Spain, coarse crystalline magnesite lying in Lower Cretaceous limestone and dolomite has been mined for a number of years. The production in 1915 was 1,400 tons.
In Greece, magnesite is of the non-crystalline type and occurs associated with serpentine in veins and masses. The most important deposits are on the Island of Euboea. The Euboean deposits are all close to the seashore, and under normal conditions cheap water transportation to the principal magnesite markets of the world is available. The production of Greek magnesite in 1914 was mainly in the hands of three companies: the Anglo-Greek Magnesite Co., 24 Finsbury Sq., London; the Société Hellenique des Mines, Athens; and the Hellenic Magnesite Co., Athens. The distribution of the magnesite is controlled by the London company. The Anglo-Greek Magnesite Co. works mines at Galataki and Afration, in Euboea. At the Galataki mines the vein of ore exposed is known to be 1,300 feet long and 50 to 60 feet wide. The Société Hellenique des Mines (now called The Financial Corporation of Greece, Ltd.,) controls the production of several mines at Mantoudi, Limni, Larimna, etc. The Hellenic Magnesite Co. obtains most of its ore from surface excavations. In 1912 the production of magnesite by several companies in Greece, (not including the Hellenic Magnesite Co.) was as follows: Raw magnesite, 87,338 tons; calcined magnesite, 30,645 tons; dead-burned magnesite, 3,201 tons. This is equivalent to about 150,000 tons of crude ore, and does not include the product of one of the three largest producers.
The magnesite from Greece and that from California are practically identical in physical and chemical character, but prior to 1915 the California material could not compete with the Grecian in the New York market, because of the transcontinental freight rate being so high in comparison with the ocean freight on material brought as ballast.
Magnesite is found in large quantities in Macedonia, occurring as veins in serpentine.
Magnesite deposits, formerly worked, occur in Italy in the Turin district, and on the Island of Elba. None of the deposits seems to be large. An analysis of magnesite from the Island of Elba shows over 8 per cent. silica, a trace of iron, and from 1 to 3.5 per cent. lime.
Magnesite occurs in Norway as small veins in serpentine, but, unlike other magnesite in serpentine, it is crystalline. It is remarkable in that it shows no lime, but it carries over 4 per cent. iron and 9 per cent. silica. It is calcined and made into brick.