together underground (indicating unusual sources for the hot springs), the contrast in composition between the ores and the country rock, and the general relation of these ores to a large number of similar occurrences in Tertiary lavas in the same general area.
Under weathering conditions, the silver sulphide minerals in general are oxidized to form native silver and cerargyrite, which are relatively insoluble and remain for the most part in the oxide zone. Silver is less soluble than copper and zinc, but more soluble than gold; and to some extent it is removed in solution, particularly where the oxidation of pyrite forms ferric sulphate. Farther down it may be reprecipitated as native silver, argentite, and the sulpho-salts, by organic matter or by various sulphides. The secondarily enriched ores are in a few districts, as at Philipsburg, Montana, the most valuable portions of the deposits. In other cases, sulphide enrichment does not appear to have contributed greatly to the values. The zones of oxide ores, secondary sulphide ores, and primary or protores are in most silver deposits much less regular and much less definitely marked than in the case of copper ores.
PLATINUM ORES
Economic Features
The principal uses of platinum are:
- as a catalytic agent in the contact process for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, and in the making of nitric acid from ammonia;
- for chemical laboratory utensils that must be resistant to heat and acids;
- for electrical contacts for certain telephone, telegraph, and electrical control instruments, and for internal combustion engines;
- in dental work;
- and for jewelry.
In normal times before the war, it is estimated that in the United States the jewelry and dental industries used 75 per cent of the platinum metals consumed, the electrical industry 20 per cent, and the chemical industry 5 per cent.
During the war, with the extraordinary expansion of sulphuric and nitric acid plants, these proportions were reversed and the chemical and electrical industries consumed about two-thirds of the platinum.
Substitutes have been developed, particularly for the electrical uses, and the demand from this quarter may be expected to decrease.