deposits of manganese oxides or carbonates associated with submarine hot springs or volcanic 

 exhalations. Manganese precipitates have been identified from a submarine volcano in Indonesia^ ° and 

 hot brines are precipitating manganese oxide in the deeps of the Red Sea. No hot spring or volcanic 

 activity that may have given rise to this type of deposit is known around the continental United States 

 or Alaska. However deposits from ancient volcanos active during Tertiary or Mesozoic times might 

 possibly be sandwiched in with sedimentary rocks in the shelves. The Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic 

 origin but no hot spring or other manganese precipitates are known on land, and it is therefore unlikely 

 that they will be found offshore. 



NICKEL 



Uses. Nickel, a hard, silvery white metal, has, besides its use in coinage, multiple industrial uses as an 

 alloy with other metals. The principal use is in ferrous alloys but nickel is also combined with other 

 metals, especially copper and chromium. To a lesser extent uncombined metallic nickel is used for 

 electroplating and in certain kinds of storage batteries. In powder form it has many applications in the 

 chemical and electronic industries. 



Present levels of utilization of nickel in thousands of short tons. 



World (1966 production) 475 



United States (1966 demand) 197.5 



Ranges of demand projections to the year 2000. 



Area Projection base 1970 1985 2000 



Prospective supplies and prices. Although nickel is expected to be in short supply in the near future, 

 the long term outlook is for adequate suppUes from widely distributed large reserves. Canada, New 

 Caledonia, U.S.S.R., and Cuba have large nickel resources. 



The current domestic price for nickel in large lots is 94-96 cents per pound for metal; nickel oxide 

 sinter and ferronickel are slightly cheaper. A small amount of nickel marketed by dealers sells at a 

 premium. Future prospects are for a steady price and adequate supplies from foreign sources. The world 

 price is approximately the same as the U.S. domestic price . 



Possible substitute materials. High-nickel alloys can be replaced substantially by nickel-chromium- 

 molybdenum steels, boron-bearing steels, chromium-manganese-nickel stainless steels, and nickel-free 

 stainless steels. More extensive use could be made of iron-base alloys and iron-chromium-aluminum 

 alloys in electrical resistors. Nickel-plated and nickel-clad products can be used where only surface 

 protection is needed. 



Potential from marine sources. Nickel is one of the important constituents of manganese nodules. If 

 and when nodules are recovered from the deep sea floor nickel will be either the metal of principal 



VlI-142 



