The Economic Aspect of GeologyLeith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)
Science
The Economic Aspect of Geology
Leith, C. K. (Charles Kenneth)
Geology, Economic
Of the world's zinc ore, the United States produces in normal times
about one-third, Germany about one-fifth, Australia about 15 per cent,
Italy, North Africa and Spain each about 5 per cent. The remaining 15 to
20 per cent comes from a large number of scattered sources, including
Japan, East Asia, Norway and Sweden, Canada, Mexico, Austria, France,
Greece, Siberia, and Russia. In the near future the Bawdwin mines of
Burma will probably be increasingly important producers. Large reserves
of zinc also exist in the Altai Mountains of southwestern Siberia, and
in the Cordilleran region of South America. In short, zinc is one of the
most widely distributed of metallic resources; there is consequently
less necessity for great international movements than in the case of
many other commodities.
The smelting of zinc concentrates is in general carried on close to the
points of consumption and where skilled labor is available, rather than
at the mines,--although smelters to handle part of the output have
recently been built in Australia and in Burma. In Europe the great
smelting countries have been Germany and Belgium, and to a lesser extent
England and France. Before the war these four countries with the United
States produced over nine-tenths of the world's spelter. Belgium did
principally a custom business, and a large part of its exports went to
England. Australian and Tasmanian zinc ores were the basis of the
Belgian and English smelting industries, and also supplied about
one-third of the German requirements. Since the war England has
contracted to take practically the entire Australian output. This fact,
in connection with war-time destruction of Belgian smelters, leaves the
future of the Belgian zinc industry in some doubt. Germany may possibly
lose to Poland its richest zinc mines, those of Silesia. German
activity in the rich deposits of Mexico is to be expected. France
controls the deposits of North Africa and satisfies a considerable part
of its requirements from that source. Smaller movements of zinc include
exports from Italy to England, and a complex interchange among the
lesser producers of Europe. English and French zinc-smelting capacity
was expanded during the war, and the industry in these countries is in a
strong position. Japan also developed a considerable smelting industry
during the war, importing ores from eastern Asia and Australia.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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