Sulfur Mines Not Being Pushed
1
MARKETS. Sulfur Mines Not Being Pushed Frasch output this year may just exceed 5 million tons . . . BDSA issues survey for 1950-52 - "' Elemental Sulfur r " Stocks, Supply and Consumption by End U»6, 1950-52 ^-«\ ' -.*. ^ ^(Thousands of long tons) , •*·*<. ^^ . . * * ijà *-^,._^ 1950 ^*. & -f* Total stocks' j^e Λ Producers? Frasch stocks £ , * ^ J Producers^ recovered sulfur stocks %<•* i Consumer stocks ,17 ^ H >^H:^ t ; - ^ Suppîy—-fotal % ( v ?% " *% Λ ^ £ ^ Native sulfur^production* S* .Froin Frasch rnines" A r * From other mines ^Recovered sul* tt*g*'% '< I As brimstone J*? As^paste^* ' ζ" * ", Imports·^ / -£ >Λ **1ί *^Γ &iX *ψ- •total. Estimated Consumpti pfiontyJUsV / * & -C J 7£MizûM^^ ^MÎn^Other^chemicals , :*£•;? ^ - * >- φ*>Χ**- °4 > i / Λ ΛΜΓ103$ΛΤ V * * * "92 ν * " I ^ ;^/Pulp and paper y.% :<&&&} 4 * * ; £ , C « 8 ·>***f ^ > 3 9 l j ^ ^ - > * 3 7 I * * M * ~^r Ground ( ^ rural ι Rubber- > Exports ι f; ^Miscellaneous' - f ^ ^ ;* - >^v4-44 ^Κ*/\^^40\> ^ *~> — , - t^A ^ e ,Producers'stocks are fronrthe Bureau of^Mines,^U^S/Department of Interior. t* Consumer stocks,Vere derived from reports' 5 to the^Nationkl Production"Authority * r . on forms NPAF-98, and 158Γ Λ ^ ' ^ / ? f fc ^ * * - ^ ; % - «*?->»; - - v , . - ^ * fef * δ Not available., " ** *-% · * "» * ^ ^i** ' ^ *" "- * - * ί ' e Data as of Jan. 31, 1952. «^ ** '~ ", - w ^ Λ ." : v? Data as of May 31,1951. * » t,\< ,*; r ; ;^ . ^ ,^Γ , ^ t ^ ^ * ή--»* * ^" ^ e Data are from the annual "Mineral Market Reports of^tne Bureau of Mines, *- % IT. S. Department of Interiorc • : *{ As Reported Jyy the Bureau of the Census, *XF.« S. Department of. Commerce. 4 fi 1950 imports amounted to less than '30 long toiisl^ ** ^5^> *^ ^ * Î<f % ^ *" *>*^ fr * '** "J** '^ Based on consumers' reports on forms NPAF-98, 157, 158. J* Consumers of less ? /than 20 short tons per, month were^ot required to report: Itls'estimated, however, A x ; that more than 98% of consumption has been herein covered. ^^J<H\ "Λ/I.*_*** . f ^ * npHROUGH sulfuric acid, carbon di- -*• sulfide for rayon manufacture, some other products, the chemical industry is still largest consumer of sulfur. A special report on the basic material by Business and Defense Services Admin- istration, fourth in this series, shows that chemicals consumed over four fifths of total sulfur in each of the years 1950, 1951, and 1952. Because the report is based on the sulfur position in 1952, industry econo- mists feel that it throws little light on the current situation. However, it does contain some basic information with regard to sulfur uses, which are detailed in the accompanying sum- mary. A decline of 7% is shown in sulfur consumption that year, which is ex- plained by restrictions effected at that time to conserve supplies. Year 1952 was a period of sulfur shortages both here and abroad, and marked by ex- pansion in sulfur recovery projects. Consumption here was limited to 90% of amount used in 1950, and controls were placed on inventories. These re- strictions are reflected in the decreas- ing consumption totals. Pulp and Paper. Carbon disulfide was no excretion to this trend al- though it will be seen that amount of sulfur used for this purpose in 1952 was slightly larger than 1950. Con- sumption by the pulp and paper in- dustries dropped from 418,000 long tons to 371,000, while the rubber in- dustry, which employs much sulfur in vulcanizing, had its amount reduced by some 7000 tons to 34,000 tons during the three-year period. Sulfite pulp processing offers the best outlet for crude sulfur. Somewhat more than half of the pulp enters the manufacture of cellulose. Sulfate pulp, or kraft, employs chiefly sodium sul- fate (salt cake). Supply figures in the BDSA report do not differ very considerably from data previously supplied Bureau of Mines. Even before the opening of the huge Garden Island Bay project, in 1952, Frasch-mined sulfur production was boosted to almost 5.3 million tons. Recovery facilities for sulfur were pushed to extent where total from this source increased 76% to 249,000 tons. Sulfur in 1954. Industry's largest sulfur producing properties, the new Gulf mine of Texas Gulf Sulphur and the Grand Ecaille of Freeport Sulphur, are "not being pushed" this year to pro- duce the element for which there was such a scramble in 1951 and 1952, pro- ducers report. Demands do not justify it, yet with the new Garden Island venture of Freeport Sulphur in produc- tion, aggregate output of Frasch sulfur may go somewhat above 5 million tons, probably not so high as in 1952 when 5,293,000 tons were mined. Frasch mine output last year was 5,155,342 tons. Exports this year will be larger; prob- ably would be much larger were it not for recovery and pyrites processes placed in operation in European chemi- cal nations. Foreign demand increased in each of the years covered in the BDSA survey, reaching 1,304,000 tons in 1952. Report states that from 1950 to 1951, domestic sulfur consumption de- clined very slightly (less than six tenths of 1%) at a time when demand was at its peak. This was puzzling to some at the time. BDSA explains that the loss was due partly to efforts of sulfur producers to exercise limited distribu- tion controls in order to conserve dwindling stocks. Government con- trols also were put in effect June 1, 1951. The sulfur goal of the ODM for ele- mental sulfur and other forms and equivalents of the element was orig- inally set at 8.4 million long tons, for Jan. 1, 1955. In light of subsequent events, as a producer commented, this now appears on the fantastic side. Goal was later revised to 7.7 million tons, which is still 1.6 million greater than 1950 production, and the goal date is now Jan. 1, 1956. 2732 CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS
Transcript of Sulfur Mines Not Being Pushed
MARKETS.
Sulfur Mines Not Being Pushed Frasch output this year may just exceed 5 million
tons . . . BDSA issues survey for 1 9 5 0 - 5 2
- "' Elemental Sulfur r
" Stocks, Supply and Consumption by End U»6, 1950-52
^-«\ ' -.*. ^ ̂ (Thousands of long tons) , •*·*<. ^ ^ . . * * ijà * - ^ , . _ ^ 1 9 5 0 ^*. &
- f * Total stocks'
j ^e Λ Producers? Frasch stocks £ , * ^ J Producers^ recovered sulfur stocks %<•* i Consumer stocks
, 1 7 ^ H > ^ H : ^ t ; - ^ Suppîy—-fotal %(
v?% " *% Λ ^ £ ̂ Native sulfur^production* S* .Froin Frasch rnines"
A r * From other mines ^Recovered sul* tt*g*'%
'< I As brimstone J*? As^paste^* ' ζ" *
", Imports·^ / -£>Λ**1ί *̂Γ
&iX *ψ-
•total. Estimated Consumpti pfiontyJUsV / * & - C J 7£MizûM^^
^MÎn^Other^chemicals , :*£•;? ^ - * >- φ*>Χ**- °4 > i / Λ Λ Μ Γ 1 0 3 $ Λ Τ V* * * "92 ν * " I ^ ; ^ / P u l p and papery.% :<&&&}4* * ; £ , C « 8 ·>***f ^ > 3 9 l j ^ ^ - > * 3 7 I * * M * ~^r Ground (
^ rural ι Rubber-
> Exports ι f; ^Miscellaneous' - f ^ ^ ; * - > ^ v 4 - 4 4 ^Κ*/\^^40\> ^ *~> — , -t̂ A ^e,Producers'stocks are fronrthe Bureau of^Mines,^U^S/Department of Interior. t* Consumer stocks,Vere derived from reports'5to the^Nationkl Production"Authority *r. on forms NPAF-98, and 158Γ Λ ^ ' ^ / ?f fc ^ * * - ^ ; % - «*?->»; - - v, . - ^ * fef *δ Not available., " ** *-% · * "» * ^ ^i** ' ^ *" "- * - * ί ' e Data as of Jan. 31, 1952. «^ ** '~ ", - w ^ Λ ."
:v? Data as of May 31,1951. * » t,\< ,*; r ; ;̂ . ^ ,^Γ , ^ t ^ ^ * ή--»* * ^" ^ eData are from the annual "Mineral Market Reports of^tne Bureau of Mines, *- % IT. S. Department of Interiorc
• : *{ As Reported Jyy the Bureau of the Census, *XF.« S. Department of. Commerce. 4fi 1950 imports amounted to less than '30 long toiisl^ ** ̂ 5^> *̂ ^ * Î<f% ̂ *" *>*^ fr * '**
"J** '^ Based on consumers' reports on forms NPAF-98, 157, 158. J* Consumers of less ? / than 20 short tons per, month were^ot required to report: Itls'estimated, however,A x; that more than 98% of consumption has been herein covered. ^^J<H\ "Λ/I.*_*** .f^ *
npHROUGH sulfuric acid, carbon di--*• sulfide for rayon manufacture, some
other products, the chemical industry is still largest consumer of sulfur. A special report on the basic material by Business and Defense Services Administration, fourth in this series, shows that chemicals consumed over four fifths of total sulfur in each of the years 1950, 1951, and 1952.
Because the report is based on the sulfur position in 1952, industry economists feel that it throws little light on the current situation. However, it does contain some basic information with regard to sulfur uses, which are detailed in the accompanying summary.
A decline of 7% is shown in sulfur consumption that year, which is explained by restrictions effected at that time to conserve supplies. Year 1952 was a period of sulfur shortages both here and abroad, and marked b y expansion in sulfur recovery projects. Consumption here was limited to 90% of amount used in 1950, and controls were placed on inventories. These restrictions are reflected in the decreasing consumption totals.
Pulp and Paper . Carbon disulfide was no excretion to this trend although it will be seen that amount of sulfur used for this purpose in 1952 was slightly larger than 1950. Consumption by the pulp and paper in
dustries dropped from 418,000 long tons to 371,000, while the rubber industry, which employs much sulfur in vulcanizing, had its amount reduced by some 7000 tons to 34,000 tons during the three-year period.
Sulfite pulp processing offers the best outlet for crude sulfur. Somewhat more than half of the pulp enters the manufacture of cellulose. Sulfate pulp, or kraft, employs chiefly sodium sulfate (salt cake).
Supply figures in the BDSA report do not differ very considerably from data previously supplied Bureau of Mines. Even before the opening of the huge Garden Island Bay project, in 1952, Frasch-mined sulfur production was boosted to almost 5.3 million tons.
Recovery facilities for sulfur were pushed to extent where total from this source increased 76% to 249,000 tons.
Sulfur in 1954. Industry's largest sulfur producing properties, the new Gulf mine of Texas Gulf Sulphur and the Grand Ecaille of Freeport Sulphur, are "not being pushed" this year to produce the element for which there was such a scramble in 1951 and 1952, producers report. Demands do not justify it, yet with the new Garden Island venture of Freeport Sulphur in production, aggregate output of Frasch sulfur may go somewhat above 5 million tons, probably not so high as in 1952 when 5,293,000 tons were mined. Frasch mine output last year was 5,155,342 tons.
Exports this year will be larger; probably would be much larger were it not for recovery and pyrites processes placed in operation in European chemical nations. Foreign demand increased in each of the years covered in the BDSA survey, reaching 1,304,000 tons in 1952.
Report states that from 1950 to 1951, domestic sulfur consumption declined very slightly (less than six tenths of 1%) at a time when demand was at its peak. This was puzzling to some at the time. BDSA explains that the loss was due partly to efforts of sulfur producers to exercise limited distribution controls in order to conserve dwindling stocks. Government controls also were put in effect June 1, 1951.
The sulfur goal of the ODM for elemental sulfur and other forms and equivalents of the element was originally set at 8.4 million long tons, for Jan. 1, 1955. In light of subsequent events, as a producer commented, this now appears on the fantastic side. Goal was later revised to 7.7 million tons, which is still 1.6 million greater than 1950 production, and the goal da te is now Jan. 1, 1956.
2732 C H E M I C A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G N E W S
