ALABAMA MICA DEPOSITS 19 



STOCKS. 



With the exception of splittings, the domestic consump- 

 tion of which is almost altogether imported, practically 

 no sheet mica stocks whatever are held in this country 

 which could be at all regarded in the nature of reserves, 

 the small stocks accumulated being only sufficient in a 

 general way to provide for fluctuating market require- 

 ments. 



CONSUMPTION. 



Briefly summarized, the detailed figures of consump- 

 tion compiled by the U. S. Geological Survey conclusively 

 show that the world's annual consumption and produc- 

 tion virtually balance, there being little or no recovery of 

 used mica, and practically all mica mined being consumed. 



The percentage of world's production represented by 

 consumption of sheet mica in the United States from 1910 

 to 1917 inclusive, is stated at 48% per cent. The annual 

 consumption of sheet mica in the United States, is ap- 

 proximately stated at present as 1700 short tons, less than 

 half of which is domestic output, by far the larger part 

 of the imported remainder being splittings. 



Expressed in percentages as to its uses ; of the domestic 

 uncut sheet mica mined in all sizes, 71 per cent has been 

 utilized for electric insulation, 23 per cent for stove fronts, 

 2 per cent for phonograph disks, and 4 per cent, for 

 other purposes. Of the imported uncut muscovite sheets, 

 exclusive of splittings, 82 per cent, has been consumed 

 for electrical insulation, 5 per cent, for stove fronts, 6 per 

 cent, for phonograph disks, 4 per cent, for lamp chim- 

 neys and canopies, and the remaining 3 per cent, for 

 other uses. 



These estimates of relative percentages as deduced by 

 the United States Geological Survey indicate that about 

 45 per cent, of the total uncut sheet (excluding splittings) 

 is finally used in the finished form, the remaining 55 per 

 cent becoming only scrap suitable for grinding. As also 

 stated by Mr. Schaller, normal world's consumption of 

 sheet mica (inclusive of splittings) prior to 1914, had 



