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1002
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MINERAL RESOURCES.
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OSMIUM.
Uses, production, and imports.—No
data are available as to the production of osmium. There is no great
demand for this metal, which formerly was somewhat extensively used for
the manufacture of incandescent lamps. It is believed that rather
large stocks of osmium are carried in Europe. Of "osmium and native
combination with platinum," 576 troy ounces were imported into the
United States in 1911, valued at $25,476, or $44.23 per ounce.
PALLADIUM.
Uses, production, and imports.—Palladium
finds a fairly large use in technology. Circles of astronomical
instruments are made of it, and it is also employed in watchmaking. Its
most extensive use is probably for certain alloys in dental work. It is
also employed for soldering platinum metals. The demand for this metal
is considerably greater than the supply. The metal is not altered or
discolored by exposure to air or hydrogen sulphide, hence it is often
used for plating metal ware.
Native
platinum contains variable amounts of palladium, which, however,
probably average considerably less than 1 per cent. Assuming a world's
annual production of 300,000 ounces of crude platinum and an average
recovery of 0.7 per cent of palladium, the total quantity available
from this source would be about 2,100 troy ounces. It is an interesting
fact that palladium occurs in certain copper ores and in copper bullion
from some localities in much larger quantities than in the crude
platinum sands (see p. 4), and such ores and bullion should be
carefully tested for this valuable metal. The production of palladium
from crude foreign and domestic sands in the United States was probably
not over 300 ounces, but the quantity recovered in several refineries
from bullion and ores amounted to 2,090 fine ounces, an estimated total
production of palladium in the United States for 1911 of 2,390 ounces,
of which about two-thirds probably was derived from domestic sources.
It is likely that the production of palladium in the United States will
increase during the next few years.
According
to the Bureau of Statistics, 1,218 troy ounces of palladium were
imported into the United States in 1911, the value assigned being
$56,307, or $46.22 per ounce. The apparent consumption of palladium in
the United States in 1911 would therefore be 3,808 ounces. In 1911 the
price of palladium was quoted at $1.75 per gram, or about $55 per troy
ounce.
RHODIUM.
Rhodium,
owing to its malleability and its high melting point, is used to some
extent for thermo elements in high temperature determinations, and also
for laboratory utensils of various kinds. The thermo elements consist
of pure platinum and platinum alloyed with 10 per cent rhodium.
The
analyses of crude platinum show that rhodium is contained in it in
considerable quantities, averaging perhaps 2 per cent. It is therefore
clear that there must be considerable stocks of this metal in Europe,
and that its present price, $5 per gram or $155
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