ITS MINING, MILLING, AND UTILIZATION WITH A CHAPTER ON CRYOLITE Sold only by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1927 The importance of fluorspar in the industrial development of this country, particularly in the open-hearth steel industry, has only begun to be realized fully. The World War showed that fluorspar was an essential mineral and was not as abundant as had been supposed. Strong demand for fluorspar caused a vigorous search for new deposits, but this search had little success. Although considerable information has been published on various phases of the fluorspar industry, no attempt had been made to correlate this scattered material and to study the industry as a whole. Mr. Ladoo visited nearly all the important fluorspar mines and mills in the United States and obtained as much information as possible regarding foreign deposits, production, and methods. In the study of foreign deposits the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce gave much assistance. Questionnaires regarding fluorspar resources and production were sent to United States consuls in various parts of the world, and the replies received aided materially in widening the knowledge of the world's reserves of fluorspar. The field work for this report was done in 1921, 1922, and early in 1923. Conditions in the industry have altered a little since that time through the development of a few new domestic and foreign deposits and through some changes in utilization, but such changes do not alter materially the conclusions reached. The original manuscript, prepared by Mr. Ladoo in 1923, has been rearranged somewhat. Names of companies have been changed to correspond with present ownerships, but descriptions of mines and mills apply to the time the examinations were made. Work in the United States was greatly facilitated by the hearty cooperation of the producers and consumers. Particular credit is due to the officials and staff of the Fairview Fluorspar & Lead Co., especially to J. M. Blayney, president, and W. C. Bohn, general manager; to the Rosiclare Lead & Fluorspar Mining Co.; and to the Kentucky Fluorspar Co. Their interest, advice, and cooperation made possible a careful and detailed examination of many deposits, particularly in the West, which probably could not have been studied · otherwise. The Fairview and Kentucky mines and equipment are now the property of the Franklin Fluorspar Co. The advice and assistance of C. S. Nunn, of Marion, Ky., are also gratefully acknowledged. Many other companies and individuals helped by supplying information or by giving free access to their mines, mills, and deposits. All those who rendered service can not be enumerated individually, but their aid is hereby acknowledged. FRANK L. HESS, Chief Engineer, Minerals and Metals Division. II FIGURE 1. Production and consumption of fluorspar and basic open- 2. Cross section showing general conditions in fluorspar de- 3. Modified square-set system used in Yandell mine, western 8. Typical single-log washer, on La Rue vein near Marion, Ky__ Mill of American Fluorspar Co., Wagon Wheel Gap, Colo---- 13. Flotation mill, Franklin Fluorspar Co., near Rosiclare, Ill__ 14. Approximate flow sheet of Franklin Fluorspar Co. flotation 51 |